Chapter 2 Part 2: The Earthbender

Hitsumo sat comfortably on his wooden stool, complete with an inlaid soft, green cushion. His new earthbending classmates sat in-line with him horizontally. They had dragged him into a sort of a combination between a stand and a pub, located at the portion where the Inner met the Outer Ring.

Evidently, this stand served a new dish that was becoming increasingly popular, as his classmates had informed him. It was a soup containing strips of dough; ramen it was called. Hitsumo wondered how popular it really was if he had never heard of it. The stand was pretty small too.

"So…How did you like your first day?" inquired the one named Naru, blond hair sticking out all over the place. The others, eight in total, leaned in somewhat to hear his response. They had all introduced themselves the moment they had sat down. Naru started the four on Hitsumo's right. The other three were: Shika, a lazy kind of guy always yawning, Hina, a somewhat shy girl with blue-black hair, and Chou, who seemed more interested in the food that was being prepared behind the counter. From the left was the girl who had scolded Naru, Saku, and the three to the left of her were: Tem, a fierce looking girl, Sasu, the boy with the black, spiked hair, and Ara, with red hair and green eyes.

Their names had been somewhat familiar to Hitsumo. He thought he might have read them somewhere, in a story or a comic book but he couldn't quite place it. Dismissing the thought, Hitsumo answered Naru's question.

"It was very…interesting, to say the least. Will class always be like this?"

Saku answered, "Well, training will always be in the dark. As for what happened today, it will only continue for a week or so until you can sense the vibrations constantly without any thought. Then, we usually start filling in the newcomers of what we've learned and Tao shows us more techniques and strategies using earthbending."

"And every four or five lessons, Tao tries to make us sense the refined earth within metal," piped in Sasu, "Though no one can really get it, with the exception of Shika here, but he's too lazy to learn." Sasu pointed at Shika who was yawning again. Everyone laughed a little, and Shika scowled, realizing he'd just been the butt of a joke.

"Food's ready!" Hitsumo looked up to see a steaming bowl of this so-called ramen on the counter. His new classmates were already getting their chopsticks, ready to dig in. Hitsumo got his own pair and brought a few noodles to his mouth. The aroma was intoxicating and these, simply heavenly. He wondered how he could have lived without it.

"I think he likes it guys. Look, his mouth is drooling even while he eats, and is that tears I see coming out of his eyes? Isn't that what happened to you, Chou?" Laughter rang throughout the air, this time, with a new voice among them.

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The next few days were a blur to Hitsumo. The earthbending classes pushed him extremely hard. It was nothing compared to the primary level earthbending classes. Right after class was over, Hitsumo would go straight home and sleep. He felt a little guilty at ignoring his family and not helping out on the farm but he was too tired.

Hitsumo began to learn many advanced techniques and styles at the dome. One style in particular intrigued him. The style had originated from Toph, and was one of the most effective ways of earthbending for close combat. The quickness of the motions surprised enemies by the speed the earth moved and attacks were more powerful, if the size of the boulders were smaller. By keeping the arm angled and close to the body, moving was much easier, and the arms were much more agile. Praying mantis was the name given. It lacked the solid, heavy defense normal earthbending gave but its speed and agility in combat was incredible.

The metalbending sessions had also been a success for Hitsumo. After the third session involving metalbending, Master Tao had proclaimed that Hitsumo had the refined sense to be able to metalbend. Hitsumo knew it too. Already, he could somewhat feel the earth still left within the metal. At his stage though, he could not reach out to move it without losing his concentration on where it was. After a few more weeks of training however, he would definitely be able to metalbend. Once he did, he and his family would be reinstated into the Inner Ring. He would get them out of the Rural soon.

Sometimes, after a relatively easy class, Hitsumo would hang out with his classmates. They had become close friends fast and Hitsumo began to consider them his second family. He learned more about them and was surprised to learn only two were from the Inner Ring while the rest were scattered in the Outer Ring. Hitsumo had always stereotyped the rich excelling in earthbending, but it did not seem so in this case.

And so, soon, two weeks passed after Hitsumo's first day at the third level. Hitsumo walked down a main road leading back to the Rural Ring. The lesson had gone on extremely long that day and by the end, Hitsumo was certain had been able to crumple a metal plate at least a centimeter, although it was hard to tell when the metal seemed to revert back to its original form. Perhaps Master Tao had been tricking him by compressing the metal. Hitsumo had seen Master Tao metalbend at great distances.

It had already been dark when Master Tao had at last let the class be dismissed and now, it was pitch black. Of course, this wasn't a problem to third level earthbenders. All that training made the dark seem natural to him. Hitsumo "saw" everything through the vibrations on his feet. It might have been a bright, sunny day for him.

Still, Hitsumo hurried to be back home. It wasn't safe to be out on the streets at night anymore. The conflict between the Badgers and the Moles had reached an all-time high and tensions seemed to be tangible in the air. Hitsumo had heard a mini-riot had already broken out somewhere in the Outer Ring that day. Although Hitsumo thought he could handle any threat efficiently with his new earthbending skills, it was better to avoid trouble.

Suddenly, a strange shape flittered across Hitsumo's senses. The object, apparently moving, was a couple yards behind him atop a roof top. The figure only passed by Hitsumo's sense for a second before it disappeared again. This was perhaps the strangest part. How could anything stop its own vibrations from hitting the ground? Hitsumo peered back to see if he could spot the figure. Nothing. It was too dark to see past his own hands.

Hitsumo continued to walk without looking back again, with a little more haste in his steps. He hoped the person, if it was someone, had not seen him glance backwards. If he managed to give off the impression that he was unaware of the pursuer, than he might have a slight advantage if the pursuer proved hostile. Hitsumo carefully sensed all the vibrations he felt from the ground. Still nothing.

From what he could tell, the pursuer was probably a skilled earthbender, to be able to move and jump from buildings in this pitch-black dark. Hitsumo was sure that he or she was more skilled than he, especially with the stalker being able to slip off his radar. It was probably an advanced technique that he still had to learn.

If the opponent was indeed more skilled than he, than the only option was for him to attack first and gain advantage through surprise. If he could get the opponent effectively off guard for a second, he could move in and capture the pursuer easily. If only he could sense where the person was…

All Hitsumo needed was one more confirmation of the stalker's whereabouts and he would strike. Hitsumo concentrated more than he had before, opening himself to the vibrations of the earth.

A figure, ten meters back, atop the far, east building. Hitsumo struck. He rose a pillar of earth underneath the pursuer, who, caught by surprise, did absolutely nothing. The pursuer landed with a thud on the road and Hitsumo quickly wove his hands so that a cage of earth encompassed the figure. Hitsumo also wrapped the body in earth, disabling the figure usage of his or her arms and legs. Normally, if he were dealing with a non-bender, he would release his bending over the earth, but here, he held it, to make absolutely sure that the pursuer did not escape.

"Who are you and why were you following me?" Hitsumo was surprised his voice was perfectly calm.

The head turned and brilliant green, female eyes stared up at him. They searched for something and Hitsumo felt a cold shiver as he wilted somewhat under that stare. Even in the helpless state the person was in, she had a commanding presence, used to being in charge. The person did not answer, her eyes showing no fear.

"I'm not going to repeat it again. Who are you and why were you following me?" Hitsumo raised his voice a little and tightened the earth around the female, to assure himself under that commanding stare and perhaps convince that he, Hitsumo, was the one in charge.

A new voice echoed across the void of darkness. "Well, what do we have here? A stinking child Mole, all alone out in the night, pinning down a female?" The contempt and the sneer in the male's voice were plainly noticeable. A few harsh snickers followed the statement.

Around Hitsumo stood a ring of tough-looking men, fifteen in total, flexing their arms, obviously expecting a conflict. All wore dirty, ragged clothing and held lamps, to see in the dark. Hitsumo cursed himself for being careless. All the concentration on finding the female had left him unaware or the men that had snuck up on him.

Hitsumo saw that the men all wore a couple of bruises and reeked of alcohol. He concluded that these men had probably been in the mini-riot he had heard about and then gotten drunk afterwards. The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous. No doubt they had been stirred up into a frenzy while getting drunk and needed an outlet.

Looking back at his "prisoner," he still saw those green eyes looking at him, paying no attention to the men surrounding him. It was as if she was calculating him, trying to predict what he was going to do.

Hitsumo stood in the center of the ring of men, calmly thinking out his actions. He had no idea where this confidence had come from. Maybe it had originated from the training. Perhaps he knew he was skilled enough in earthbending to take them on. Or perhaps, he knew he had come too close to freeing his family from their poverty life to lose now. Whatever the case, he was glad he had developed this calm state.

His first action was to release the girl. Whether this was a smart move, he did not know. However, he knew he could not maintain the cage while defeating fifteen men. He would face the girl later if he had to. The men were his first priority as of now.

Releasing the cage took a fraction of a second. In an instant with a flick of the wrists, fifteen small pillars rose before each man, and shattered the lamps, sending them all into the dark nebulous.

For a moment, chaos entered the atmosphere as the men shouted in confusion and were blinded by the darkness. They would not be confused much longer. Hitsumo saw the positions of each one perfectly, tapping his foot to send vibrations into the earth. He rose a ring of earth around eight of men, circling them around their head, with the men still unaware. Then, Hitsumo tightened his hand into a fist and the earth slammed down upon their heads, knocking them out efficiently. Not much of a fight, but then again, he wasn't looking for trouble. He wanted to end this as quickly as possible and be on his way.

If events had gotten so bad for there to be a violent conflict, then his family might be in danger as well. He would need to be there to protect them. The thought of his family endangered set his worry off the scale and he needed to be fast.

Hitsumo began to focus on the seven left, prepared to use the same techniques as before.

However, "looking" back, he saw the seven already down.

'What? How did…?'

The girl stood reeking with confidence in her aura, her arms falling to her side. It was her. She had knocked out the other seven for him. But was it for her own safety or did she want to help? Her motive was…? Hitsumo felt more and more confused.

Hitsumo prepared an earthbending stance, his muscles tensing in caution.

"There's really no need to be so alarmed. I have no intention to fight you…yet," she said in a crystal clear voice. It seemed to have a musical ring to it, with touches of amusement tinting the surface.

Hitsumo stood ready. She sighed, laughing a little. Chimes twinkling in the wind, with that commanding presence. A formidable girl, indeed.

"Alright, keep that position if you must. I personally think it gets really tiresome, after standing for an x amount of time with your legs all spread out and tense. It really strains your calf muscles."

Hitsumo stood ready.

Her carefree and outgoing attitude made him feel a little annoyed. For one that he just pinned down, she seemed totally unconcerned by the events that had just taken place. In fact, she was unconcerned.

She leaned a little on one foot, shifting her weight. Hitsumo supposed she really wouldn't fight. An earthbending position distributes weight evenly, so that there is no weak point and the person becomes immobile. As of now, her stance showed none of this. Still, Hitsumo had to be cautious.

Shrugging a little, she continued, "To answer those questions you demanded of me… well let's just say you've intrigued me. For a primary that just started merely a two months ago to already rise to third leveland have a huge potential for metalbending is just unheard of; this coming from a Ruralist as well. It's extraordinary. You've sparked interest in the entire Council of the King and I'll bet you don't even know it."

Hitsumo faltered. He had failed to comprehend how much exactly his progress had been revolutionary. A Ruralist with the potential to become a metalbender; Hitsumo racked his memory of the history of earthbending students, trying to find a case similar to his. He came up with nothing. And now, even the Council of the King had their eyes on him. That fact alone made all of his actions seem as if they were being watched and regarded. If he made one wrong move, he would disappoint the highest form of government and control in Ba Sing Sei. A sweat drop rolled down Hitsumo's face.

"You still haven't told me who you are. How do you know so much about me?"

The girl tapped her finger on her chin, contemplating on how to answer. "Hmm… As for that, why don't you try and guess?"

The girl reached for one of the broken lanterns and bended the metal casing back into place. Hitsumo's eyes widened. In front of him lay the second metal bender he had ever laid his eyes upon. Hitsumo recited the list of metalbenders in his mind. There weren't many and all those were not nearly as young enough to be her. In fact, she seemed to be around the same age as himself. Who was this mysterious girl?

The girl reached into her pocket and brought out a flint and a knife. She lit the candle and brought it up to her face, illuminating her face clearly and reflecting light off those brilliant, green eyes. Dark, black hair disappeared into the night as a prominent cheek gave her a noble feel. Her head tilt was an angle signifying confidence, assurance, and leadership.

Hitsumo recognized her and he knew that most of the entire population of Ba Sing Sei would have as well. Hitsumo had seen her many times throughout the year, although always during celebrated holidays and parades. She had always been at the top, waving and smiling to the crowds before.

This girl was the King's daughter.

Hitsumo fell, his head suddenly dizzy, still staring at the girl.

"The King's daughter, by Oma and Shu, the King's daughter! Her… name… uh… Yuka. That's it. Yuka Mitori, daughter of Shinji Mitori, the King." Hitsumo's head swam with everything rushing in at once. Her knowing of him, her interest, her metalbending, her commanding aura; everything was connected with that final piece of information.

After recuperating from his shock, Hitsumo finally realized his place and bowed onto his knees.

Yuka snorted. "They always bow after they realize who I am. Come on, get up." And with that, she pulled Hitsumo up.

"I really hate it when people don't look me in the eye. It's like they have something to hide," she said, again with some amusement and now, with a smile. "Now, Hitsumo is it? My father is also interested in you. How about coming to the palace tomorrow?"

Hitsumo gaped again. First the daughter and now the King? It was all too much. Hitsumo felt his head nod by itself.

"Great! Meet me in front of the Palace tomorrow and don't worry about skipping class. Wear your best and if you don't have one, I'll see to it. See you later." And with that, she disappeared in the darkness.

After a while of staring, Hitsumo left for home. Tired and beat, the last thought on his mind right before drifting off to sleep was that Yuka had never really explained why she was stalking him.

Another part soon to follow. Review?..