Zuko and Aang leave the next morning on Appa to find the civilization of the Sun Warriors. I loaded them down with plenty of food and water bottles—after first showing Zuko how to open one. When they become just a speck in the distance, I turn around and begin helping Katara to straighten up the temple.
My nightmares attacked me that night, even with my good playlist lulling me to sleep. Nobody came running, except for Momo, Aang's flying lemur pet. I guess everybody had learned to leave me alone when I have bad dreams. For some reason, my mother keeps appearing just out of reach, telling me to learn and control the elements. I remember her saying that I have the ability to bend all five of them—Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and Time—for protection and disguise.
"You know, Starr, if you're supposed to be able to bend all the elements," Katara mentions the next morning, "why don't I show you some Water bending? It could be useful in battle, and it just might keep these nightmares away."
"And I could show you some Earth bending techniques," Toph adds with a smirk. "That way I'll have practice against two competent people instead of just Twinkle-Toes."
I grin. "That sounds awesome."
I lead Katara to a nearby lake and she begins. "Water bending is about moving with, not against the water. We get our energy from the moon and ocean Spirits."
Katara starts me off easy with the push and pull of water in the lake. For a second, I think I have it, but Katara points out that it's just the natural ebb and flow of the lake.
"That's okay, Starr," she pats my shoulder. "That took me days to get right. Here, try this…"
But each move she gives me I only barely grasp. It seems almost as though my bending is repelling this new, alien medium. Katara's bending is much smoother than mine; I have a tendency to boil the water whenever I try, or it freezes and explodes. But eventually (and by that I mean nearly 5 hours of practice) I have the basics, and according to Katara, that's all I need.
When she deemed that I knew just enough to protect myself in a fight, she turned me over to Toph.
"Whatever Katara told you about Water bending, Earth is a hundred times more powerful. Earth provides us a place to live, food, and shelter. Without Earth, we would be swimming in the Sugar Queen's domain."
"Sugar Queen?" I laugh.
"My own personal nick-name for Katara. Anyway, enough with the big speech. Earth bending is all about feeling where you are and using that for energy." She stomps her foot and a chair appears behind her from the soil. "You try."
Feeling silly, I give my foot a stomp. Nothing happens.
"Feel your foot pushing into the Earth," Toph instructs. "Send the message with your energy to shape the Earth to your will."
This time, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I push my foot into the soil, and imagine the force sending a shock through the ground to push upward behind me.
"You did it!" Toph cheers.
I sit in my throne-like dirt chair, feeling quite proud of myself. "I suppose I did."
Toph's lesson went much better than Katara's. I was able to get a handle on Earth bending in about 15 minutes, and we spent the next hour fine-tuning my technique.
"There's no stopping you in a fight," Toph comments. "Remember the rocks are yours to control, or else they just listen to gravity. And gravity is stupid and can't tell them to do fun tricks."