Book Two: Earth
Chapter Ten: Bitterwork
Xena sat perched in a tree on the edge of the camp, her chin resting on her knees. Everyone had gone to sleep as soon as they had landed except for her. She was too worried about Iroh and Zuko. She sighed softly and watched as the sun started to rise. Aang is the first to wake and jumps to his feet excitedly, showing no signs of staying up the night before.
"Today's the day!" He exclaimed excitedly as he jumped over Appa and twirled in the air before landing lightly on his feet near a still sleeping Sokka. "Can you believe it? After all this time searching for a teacher, I'm finally starting Earthbending! And this place, it's perfect, don't you think? Sokka?"
The Water Tribe boy grumbled in annoyance and glared at Aang over his shoulder.
"Oh, you're still sleeping, huh?" Aang questioned and Sokka grumbled again as he pulled his sleeping bag over his head. "Sorry."
The ground suddenly began to shake and Toph's earth tent abruptly disappeared back into the ground.
"Gooood morning, earthbending student!" The blind earthbender greeted loudly, waking up Katara.
"Good morning, Sifu Toph," Aang replied, bowing respectfully.
"Hey, you never called me Sifu Katara . . ." Katara muttered.
"Well, if you think I should . . ."
Sokka grumbled angrily and pulled his sleeping bag higher in irritation.
"Sorry, Snoozles, we'll do our earthbending as quietly as we can," Toph said sarcastically then she earthbended a rock under him, sending him flying into the air.
Sokka screeched in surprise and landed back on the ground. Still in his sleeping bag, Sokka jumped to his feet and hopped over to Aang, mumbling incoherently at him before hopping over to Toph to the do the same. Continuing to mumble to himself, Sokka hopped away.
"So what move are you going to teach me first? The rock-a-lanche? The trembler?" Aang asked eagerly as he gestured the moves with his arms. "Oh, maybe I could learn to make a whirlpool out of land!"
Toph shot her hand out and stopped Aang in the middle of his spin. "Let's start with…move a rock."
"Sounds good, sounds good," Aang said unperturbed.
While Toph and Aang had been talking, Katara had moved to lean against the tree trunk below Xena.
"Did you sleep at all?" She asks.
"No," She answer truthfully, leaning her head back against the tree.
"Want to talk about it?"
Xena looked down at Katara and after a brief moment nodded her head.
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"The key to Earthbending is your stance," Toph explained as she took a horse-stance. "You've got to be steady and strong. Rock is a stubborn element. If you're going to move it, you've got to be like a rock yourself."
Aang stumbled when Toph suddenly pushed him and he rubbed his side.
"Like a rock," He mumbled, still rubbing his side. "Got it."
"Good," Toph praised lightly. "Now the actual motion of this one is pretty simple."
Toph thrusted her fist out, earthbending the boulder in front of her into the canyon wall. She straightened and turned her head in Aang's direction.
"Okay, you ready to give it a try?"
"I'm ready," Aang said confidently as he shifted into a horse-stance.
Aang stared at the rock through narrowed eyes, his expression determined then he thrusted his fist out towards the rock. Aang yelped as he released a blast of air instead of earthbending and was forced backwards into Appa's side, the boulder remaining perfectly in place.
"Rock beats airbender!" Sokka called out in amusement still wrapped in his sleeping bag.
Xena looks down at him from Appa's head as Katara rustles in the bags in saddle. She straightened with a blanket in her hand and drops in Xena's lap before jumping down to help Aang to his feet.
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"Uncle?" Zuko asked, noticing his uncle stir slightly.
Iroh opens his eyes, blinking in confusion at his nephew.
"You were unconscious," Zuko stated worriedly. "Azula did this. It was a surprise attack."
"Somehow, that's not so surprising," Iroh commented then groaned as he tried to force himself into an upright position.
Zuko held a cup of tea out to his uncle.
"I hope I made it the way you like it," Zuko said as Iroh took a sip of the tea.
He didn't notice the grimace that appeared on his uncle's face after he took a sip.
"Mm…Good," Iroh said then hurriedly down the rest of the tea and tried not to gag as he handed the cup back to his nephew. "That was very…uh…bracing."
Zuko smiled happily and took the cup then turned back to the teapot and refilled it. Iroh threw the tea over his shoulder when his nephew turned to fill his own cup
"So, Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her," Zuko explained. "I know what you're going to say; she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."
"No…" Iroh denied quickly. "She's crazy and she needs to go down.
Zuko looked at his uncle in surprise as he stood up and declared, "It's time to resume your training."
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"I don't understand what went wrong," Katara stated in confusion as she moved to stand beside Toph. "He did it exactly the way you did."
"Maybe there's another way…" Aang said, hopefully joining them. "What if I came at the boulder from a different angle?"
"No!" Toph grabbed his collar stopping him as he began trying to circle the rock. "That's the problem. You've got to stop thinking like an airbender. There's no different angle, no clever solution, no trickety-trick that's going to move that rock. You've got to face it head on. And when I say head on, I mean like this…" Toph jumped up and slammed her head onto the boulder, completely shattering it.
"Whoa!" Aang gasped as he jerked backwards in surprise.
Katara glanced over at Aang's disappointed face then hurriedly ran after Toph, who was walking away from them. Aang walked over to Xena and Appa in disappointment as Katara talked to Toph.
"You'll get it," She says, jumping down from Appa's head.
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"Lightning is a pure expression of firebending, without aggression," Iroh explained, sitting across a small fire from Zuko with a pot of properly brewed tea between them. "It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind." He poured two cups of tea and handed one to Zuko.
"I see," Zuko said in understanding as he took the cup. "That's why we're drinking tea, to calm the mind."
"Oh yeah, good point!" Iroh exclaimed with a grin after he took a sip of his tea then quickly corrected himself. "I mean, yes." Iroh stood, gesturing for Zuko to follow him as he walked towards the cliff edge.
"There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang," Iroh continued to explain, folding his hands in front of his chest for a moment before looking at his nephew and holding up one finger then another finger of the opposite hand. "Positive energy and negative energy. "
"Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance," Iroh described as he turned to face Zuko, gesturing with his hands. "The energy wants to restore balance, and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together. You provide release and guidance, creating lightning."
Zuko watched as Iroh turned to face the cliff edge and began making circular motions with his arms, electricity sparking at his fingertips. A few seconds later, Iroh thrusted his hand outward and lightning shot from his fingertips away from him.
"I'm ready to try it!" Zuko said eagerly as he stared in awe.
"Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it," Iroh instructed as he stepped back so his nephew could try. "You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first."
Zuko took a deep breath and closed his eyes before exhaling. The banished prince performed the same circular motions Iroh had a moment ago then thrusted his hand forward, but created an explosion that launched him backwards instead of lightning. He stood up with a growl and tried it several more times with the same results
"Why can't I do it?!" Zuko demanded angrily. "Instead of lightning it keeps blowing up in my face…like everything always does."
"I was afraid this might happen," Iroh sighed as he got up from where he had sat down minutes ago. "You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."
"What turmoil?" Zuko demanded angrily.
"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away."
"But I don't feel any shame at all," Zuko replied stubbornly. "I'm as proud as ever."
"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source," Iroh explained wisely. "True humility is the only antidote to shame."
"Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately…" Zuko murmured, turning away from his uncle miserably.
"I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know," Iroh said grinning as he tried to cheer Zuko up. "Because I made it up myself."
Zuko smiled gently at his uncle.
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"Wow," Katara murmured in amazement after a long pause of silence.
Xena had told Katara everything about what happened between her and Zuko, including the kiss and excluding any mention from her past before them being freed from the iceberg. It was an enlightening moment and said much about Zuko as it did her. Katara had never heard Xena so unsure about anything before. The Guardian had sat with her knees pulled to her chest, chin resting on her knees as she talked.
"I don't know what to say," Katara said, turning to face the older girl fully.
"You don't have to say anything."
"I feel like I should though."
Xena glanced at the younger girl and slowly uncurled till she was sitting normally.
"I'm sorry," She said, startling Katara.
"For what?"
"For being so closed off to you and Sokka. I know how I come off to the two of you."
"Xena-"
"I was engaged," She cut Katara off, looking out over the pond they were sitting by. "Before Aang and I got caught in that iceberg. I never told any of my friends either." She glanced at Katara, who was staring at her in astonishment. "I wish I had. Now the only one I have left to tell is Aang and I can't because he would feel responsible."
"Xena," Katara said soothingly, seeing the tears in Xena's eyes.
"I did blame him at first when I found out how long we were in that iceberg for. It wasn't his fault though. I chose to go with Aang, I chose to follow my duty to him over my own heart and I have to suffer the consequences for that. But I don't mind, because -" Xena sat up straighter and rub at her eyes. "-because I wouldn't change anything. No matter what I'll always choose Aang."
"Because it's your duty."
Xena shook her head. "No, because he's my little brother and the only family I have left."
Katara leaned over to pull the older girl into a hug and Xena accepted it without question, taking one more step away from the past. The two girls were sitting close together when Aang found them several minutes later. The young airbender hesitated for a moment before starting to back away.
"What's up, Aang?" Xena asked, turning to look at him over her shoulder.
"Oh, I was just . . . you know . . ."
"Taking a break from earthbending," She guessed."
"Yeah."
Xena nodded and stood, stretching the cinks out of her back. "Why don't the three of us practice waterbending then?"
His eyes widened at her suggestion and he nodded enthusiastically.
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The three of them stood in the pond up to their waists, bending a globe of water back-and-forth in a circular motion between them.
"You know this block you're having is only temporary, right?" Katara asked as she moved the water back towards Aang.
"I don't want to talk about it," Aang muttered in reply, passing it to Xena.
The older girl remained silent as she passed it back to Katara.
"You do realize that's the problem, don't you?" Katara stated calmly. "If you face this issue instead of avoiding it-"
"I know, I know, I know, I know!" Aang interrupted with a shake of his head as he let his hands fall to his sides, causing the globe of water to fall back into the pond. "I get it, alright? I need to face it head on like a rock, but I just can't do it. I don't know why I can't, but I can't."
"Aang, if fire and water are opposites, then what's the opposite of air?" Katara questioned gently.
"I guess its earth."
"That's why it's so difficult for you to get this," Katara explained easily. "You're working with your natural opposite. But you'll figure it out. I know you will." Katara smirked and reached behind her.
"Think fast!" She called out suddenly as she threw the newly broken reed at Aang.
Aang's quickly bended up a wave of water that sliced the reed in half before it could hit him. Katara smiled and put her hands on her hips, a proud expression on her face.
"Excellent," She praised him. "You have the reflexes of a waterbending master."
"Thanks, Katara," Aang said then he bowed to her. "Sifu Katara."
Katara smiled and bowed back.
"There is actually more to opposites then you think," Xena said startling them, "Fire and water are opposites, but they are both susceptible to change, just as air and earth can both be unforgiving."
"Thank you for your words of wisdom, Xena," Katara says sarcastically.
Xena shrugs knowing that what she had said was confusing. Suddenly she grinned and flicked her wrist upwards. Katara shrieked as she got a mouthful of pond water. The master waterbenders smiled playfully at each other before launching into a mock waterbending fight which quickly turned to trying to force each others heads under water. Aang laughed at the girls' antics and they looked up at him then at each other. Exchanging matching smirks they turned their attention on him and he yelped as both girls raised a wave over his head to knock him over.
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"Fire is the element of power," Iroh stated as he drew the Fire Nation symbol into the dirt with a box enclosing it. "The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy to drive and achieve what they want."
"Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring," Iroh said as he drew the symbol for the Earth Kingdom then he started drawing the symbol for the Air Nomads. "The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom.
"Also, they apparently had a pretty good sense of humor!" Iroh added with a grin, his nephew staring at him blankly. Iroh's amused expression turned serious again and he continued his explanation of the four elements.
"Water is the element of change," He stated then drew the Water Tribe symbol. "The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting too many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."
Zuko stared at the four symbols then looked up at his uncle. "Why are you telling me these things?"
"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale," Iroh stated then drew two lines that divided the four. "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole." As he finished speaking, Iroh drew a circle around the four insignias to demonstrate what he was saying.
"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff," Zuko commented.
"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. Even Xena is more powerful containing two and her knowledge of all four nations fighting styles. And it can make you more powerful, too," Iroh replied calmly then he smiled slightly. "You see the technique I'm about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders."
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"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponent's' energy against them," Iroh explained as he and Zuko made a pushing and pulling motion that Zuko had seen both Katara and Xena use. "I learned a way to do this with lightning."
Zuko stopped and smiled slightly in eagerness at his uncle. "You can teach me to redirect lightning?"
"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it," Iroh explained. "You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach." He traced the path with two fingers in demonstration.
"The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi," Iroh stated then he smiled slightly and patted his rounded belly. "Only in my case it is more like a vast ocean."
Iroh's became serious again and he moved back into his previous position, his left arm raised diagonally while his right hand pointed at his stomach.
"From the stomach, you direct it up again, and out the other arm," He continued to explain how to redirect lightning as he raised his right arm diagonally from his body to demonstrate what he meant.
"The stomach detour is critical," Iroh stated firmly, pressing two fingers to his nephew's chest, right where his heart was. "You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly."
Zuko looked down at his chest then back at his uncle, a grave and understanding expression on his face.
"You may wish to try a physical motion, to get a feel for the pathways, like this." Iroh suggested then began to demonstrate.
He shifted into a horse stance, raising his left arm diagonally with two fingers pointing outward while raising right arm parallel to his left. Zuko shifted into a similar position as his uncle dragged his right hand down his left arm towards his shoulder and down to his stomach, turning his body slightly as he thrusted his right arm diagonally upward, his fingers pointing outward. Zuko mimicked his motions. They repeated the motion in the opposite direction.
"Now, are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"
"I think so…" Zuko muttered, closing his eyes briefly as he concentrated on his energy.
"Come on, you've got to feel the flow," Iroh stated with a smile as he began doing a wave like gesture with his arms.
They continued practicing for several more minutes as the sun began to set.
"Excellent!" Iroh praised as he dropped his arms and straightened. "You've both got it!"
Zuko a straightened and bowed respectfully to his uncle.
"Great!" Zuko said eagerly. "I'm ready to try it with real lightning!"
"What, are you crazy?" Iroh asked in surprise. "Lightning is very dangerous!"
"I thought that was the point!" Zuko stated matter-of-factly. "You teaching me to protect myself from it!"
"Yeah! But I'm not going to shoot lightning at you!" Iroh exclaimed in exasperation and worry then he turned his back on Zuko, his hands clasped behind him. "If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all!"
"Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning," The banished prince snapped as he stomped over to his ostrich-horse.
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"You found him!" Katara cried out happily as she ran towards her brother, who was being supported by Aang.
"The whole time I was in that hole, not knowing if I was going to live or die," Sokka said quietly. "It makes a man think about what's really important. I realize-"
"Hey Katara, look what I can do!" Aang interrupted Sokka then earthbended a rock from the ground and slammed it into the canyon wall.
"You did it! I knew you would!" Katara said happily.
"Good job, Aang," Xena said happy for the young airbender.
Aang beamed joyfully at the praise and turned to Appa.
"Appa, Appa, I can earthbend now!" Aang exclaimed excitedly as he shifted into a horse-stance in front of the sky bison. "The key is being completely rooted. Physically and mentally unmovable!"
Appa grumbled and licked him, knocking him over. Sokka started laughing hysterically, clutching at his stomach as he pointed Aang's sprawled out form. Aang pushed himself up and rubbed his head as he laughed along with Sokka. Xena smiled with a small roll of her eyes and started to turn around only to gasp softly before collapsing suddenly.
"Xena!" Katara cries out in surprise, catching the suddenly limp girl.
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Zuko stood at the top of a small cliff and glared at the storm clouds in front of him while the storm raged around him. Xena stood slightly behind him, her eyes a mix between blue and green. She shifted back a step in confusion as he began shouting.
"You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it and now I can give it back!"
The banished prince glared at the gray clouds and lightning flashed, briefly lighting up the gray clouds.
"Come on, strike me!" Zuko roared as loud as he could. "You've never held back before!"
Zuko closed his eyes tightly as tears began to stream down his cheeks. He screamed wordlessly at the sky then fell to his hands and knees as the rain continued to pour down around him. His shoulders shook slightly as he continued to cry. Almost without thinking, Xena stepped forward and crouched in front of him, hugging him. Zuko leaned into her slightly before his eyes flickered open in shock. She pulled back slightly with a small sad smile and he blinked once before sighing and leaning into her again. Neither bothered to worry about how she was there nor did they notice that her bracelet on his wrist was glowing the same blue green as Xena's eyes.
Once again spirits are interfering in Xena and Zuko's lives trying to further their relationship and we also get some Xena and Katara friendship. Woo.