A/N: I was meaning to update on Friday, but I was busy and completely forgot. Still working out some kinks in later chapters, but I felt that you guys deserved an update anyway. This originally was a very short chapter, but I rearranged some scenes on a whim at the last minute. Overall, I'm a lot happier with it now.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I do own Mira and any original concepts (mostly in regards to the spirit world).
Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter. I love hearing from you and I try to reply to most of you. And once again, thank you to those who favorite and subscribe. Your support means a lot to me too!
Chapter Eight
Of Stones and Spirits
Apparently, it was becoming a tradition to start long flights with a round of questions. Mira wasn't totally sure how she felt about this.
"What did you say to Zuko?" Katara asked curiously.
"Nothing," she said, shrugging.
Katara narrowed her eyes. "Liar."
"Why does it matter?" Mira countered, raising an eyebrow.
Katara was stumped. "It doesn't, I guess. I was just curious."
"Might want to work on that. Someone once told me that curiosity can get you killed."
Katara rolled her eyes as her lips tugged into a smile. "Very funny."
"So, who were those girls?" Toph piped up. She was clinging to the saddle tightly, and Mira could tell that she was only asking to provide a distraction.
"Azula, Mai and Ty Lee," Katara said. "Apparently, Mira's run into them before."
"Really?" Toph perked up. "What happened?"
"Yeah, Mira," Sokka chimed in. "You were a little sketchy on the details."
She sighed, blowing some hair out of her face in irritation. She'd hoped to just let that incident slide by without notice. She wasn't a big fan of talking about her past. "I was in Caldera, the Fire Nation capitol, a couple years ago," she said. "I was in the marketplace, just filching things here and there. And all of a sudden, I turn around and see Azula there."
"Azula? Shopping?" Sokka snorted.
"Even princesses outgrow their clothes. She was being fitted for some new outfits. I knew she was the princess, of course. You can't live in the Fire Nation without knowing who the royal family is."
"Wait a second," Toph cut in. "You're from the Fire Nation?"
"No. I lived there, but I'm not from there."
"Ah. Keep going."
"Anyway. I knew who she was. And I thought it'd be the perfect challenge to try and nick something off her."
"Wh—are you insane?" Sokka spluttered.
"It's debatable," Mira quipped. "Though, I must admit, I was a little bit reckless back then."
"A little?" Katara asked, an eyebrow arched skeptically.
Mira ignored her and continued. "I walked toward her, just blending into the crowd. I was finally as close as I was going to get, so I just reached out for a dagger that was hanging on her belt. I had it in my hands, too," she added wistfully.
"She caught you?"
"Of course. I hadn't even gotten it off her belt when she snatched my wrist. My hood fell off, and she got an up close look at my face. I ripped my hand away and ran like hell. I only just escaped her and her guards. But now she knows my face, and she will never forget it."
Skkkrt. Skkkkrt. Skkkkkkrit.
Mira paused in her work and ran a finger along the flat edge of the dagger she was sharpening. She turned it around in her hands and peered down the edge. The metal gleamed in the early morning light. Any and all dull spots were long gone, thanks to the whetstone Mira always carried with her. She nodded in satisfaction and pulled out her next knife.
It was just after sunrise three days after the incident at the ghost town. Aang had wanted to begin training immediately, but Toph had insisted they wait for the best training ground. Everywhere they stopped was either too grassy, too wet, too leafy, too…something. Aang was about to explode for impatience when they finally landed in a rocky canyon. The valley had once been home to a raging river, but time and weather had worn in down into a mere crack in the ground (albeit a massive crack). They had landed the evening before, and as soon as Toph had set foot on the ground, she grinned and announced her approval. The next morning, the training would begin.
And if Aang's excitement from last night were any indication, he should be up in three…two…one…
"Today's the day! Can you believe it?" Aang crowed, bursting out from behind Appa, where he'd been sleeping. "After all that time searching for a teacher, I'm finally starting earthbending! And this place…it's perfect! Don't you think, Sokka?"
Sokka rolled over in his sleeping bag and sent Aang a deadly glare.
"Oh, you're still sleeping, huh?"
Sokka's only reply was a stifled moan.
"Sorry," Aang whispered, not sounding sorry at all.
An ominous rumbling broke through the air. Toph's earth tent exploded outward, revealing the petite earthbender. "Good morning, earthbending student!"
Aang bowed as she approached. "Good morning, Sifu Toph."
"Hey... you never call me Sifu Katara," the waterbender croaked groggily as she stirred.
"Well, if you think I should…" Aang shrugged.
Sokka sat up and grumbled incoherently, prompting Toph to say with a snigger, "Sorry, Snoozles. We'll do our earthbending as quietly as we can."
She kicked the ground suddenly, and a large spire of a rock shot up underneath him, sending him flying into the air. He fell back to earth with a girlish scream, and landed with a thud in front of Mira.
She bent down and looked him in the eye. "Even you've got to admit I'm not that bad." She rapped him on the skull with her knuckles. He grumbled again and struggled to stand up in the sleeping bag. He hopped past Aang and Toph with a growl and collapsed back on the ground a good ways away.
"So what move are you going to teach me first?" Aang asked eagerly, his attention quickly diverted. "Rockalanche? The trembler? Oh! Maybe I can learn to make a whirlpool out of land!"
Toph slapped a hand on his chest to cease the stream of babbling coming from his mouth. "Let's start with 'move a rock'."
Aang agreed eagerly and followed her to a more open part of the canyon. Mira followed somewhat disinterestedly and perched on a ledge several feet up before resuming her knife work.
"The key to earthbending is your stance," Toph was saying. "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."
"Like a rock. Got it," Aang said determinedly.
"Good. Now the actual motion of this one is pretty simple." A crashing sound followed her words, and Mira looked up to see a boulder go speeding down the canyon before crashing into the other side. "Okay, you ready to give it a try?" Toph asked Aang. Mira set aside her knives and watched, curious in spite of herself.
"I'm ready," Aang said. He punched forward, but instead of the rock speeding off, Aang was the one propelled across the canyon. He collided with Appa, and fell to the ground slowly.
A braying guffaw echoed across the canyon. Sokka sat in his sleeping bag on a nearby rock, holding his sides as he chuckled. "Rock beats airbender!" he cried, before dissolving into another fit of laughter.
Katara shot her brother a dirty look and hopped off her ledge. "I don't understand what went wrong. He did it exactly the way you did."
"Maybe there's another way." Aang put his hands up in a fighting stance and began to circle the rock. "What if I came at the boulder from a different angle?"
"No, that's the problem. You've got to stop thinking like an airbender," Toph said, lightly knocking her fist against Aang's skull. "There's no different angle, no clever solution, no trickity 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!" She leaped into the air and brought her head smashing down against the boulder, which exploded with a crash.
Mira stood up. "Well, as fascinating as this has been, I think I'll go train somewhere else."
"You're not going to stay and watch?" Katara asked.
Mira shrugged. "I'm not the one learning earthbending, am I?" Besides, she had the horrible feeling that this training was going to garner the same result for a very, very long time.
So she wandered down the canyon until she found a long, thin stretch littered with boulders of various sizes. She smiled. Perfect.
She stripped off her cloak and hung it on a low branch of a tree that hung over a large, relatively flat outcropping. She re-tied her braid and positioned herself in the middle of the canyon stretch. She bounced on her feet a few times, shook out her shoulder and cracked her neck…and she took off.
She was running down the canyon lane, jumping and vaulting over rocks, flipping and twisting out of the way of obstacles, and trying to do it all as quickly and gracefully as possible. She'd figured out that practicing this helped when it was time to actually get the hell outta dodge. Plus, all the flipping and acrobatics helped with her flexibility. And though she'd never admit this out loud, it was very fun to do.
She reached the end of her stretch of canyon, so she kicked off the canyon wall and started running back. She tried not to take the same paths that she did coming down, and purposely picked the most difficult routes. She always wanted to push herself, to challenge herself to do the impossible.
Her left foot caught on a strangely shaped boulder she was leaping over, and she crashed to the ground in a puff of dust.
Of course, a consequence of trying to do the impossible is finding out that it is, in fact, impossible. She sat on the ground, pulled off her boot, and straightened her leg out. She rolled her foot one way, then the other. She poked and prodded at the skin around her ankle and wiggled her toes. Well, at least she hadn't seriously damaged her ankle. She pulled her boot back on and stood up gingerly. She put her full weight on her left foot and was satisfied when it didn't buckle underneath her. It would be sore the next day, but there was no lasting damage. Still, Mira decided it was time for a break.
She sat against the trunk of the tree she'd hung her cloak up in and closed her eyes, appreciating the shade. She sat like that for several minutes, until a timid voice asked, "Mira?"
She cracked open an eyelid to see a sweaty, shirtless Aang standing in front of her, his face wearing an expression caught halfway between frustration and defeat. Apparently, the training wasn't going well.
Mira shifted over and patted the rock next to her. Aang hopped up and lay back underneath the shade, throwing an arm over his head. They stayed like that for a few minutes, not speaking. Mira wasn't one to pry, and she knew that if Aang wanted to talk about what was bothering him, he would bring it up.
And after another moment's silence, he did. "I thought training would be easier than this."
"Training may be a lot of things, but it's rarely ever easy."
"But I understood waterbending so quickly!" Aang said. "Why can't I get this?"
"You know I'm a thief, right?" Mira said abruptly. Aang lifted his arm and gave Mira a strange look. She held out a hand to stop him from inquiring. "Just—bear with me, alright?" He nodded, and she continued. "Stealing comes naturally to me. I didn't have to work hard when learning how to pick a lock, or someone's pocket. I just could. But patience. Now, that is a thing I struggled with."
Aang gave her an incredulous look. "Really?"
"You should have known me when I was younger," Mira said, a half-smile on her face. "I was so reckless and impatient. I never thought anything through, and that got me into a lot of trouble."
"But—you're not like that now," Aang pointed out obviously.
"No. Because I trained myself not to be," she said. "It was hard, and difficult, but I did it. It went against my nature, but I made myself learn patience and caution. And after a while, they just stuck."
"I don't know," Aang sighed, throwing his arm across his face once more. "I don't think I can."
"Aang. As the Avatar, you're going to have to do things that go against your nature."
"Huh?" Aang asked, pushing himself up. "Like what?"
"What did you think you were going to do when you confronted the Fire Lord?" Mira asked, partly out of curiosity.
"I—really hadn't thought that far yet," Aang admitted sheepishly.
"That's alright for now, but you're going to have to start considering it," Mira warned. "And I can tell you right now, he's not going to want to sit and have a nice chat over tea."
"I know!" Aang moaned. "I just can't do—that."
Mira instantly knew to which that he was referring. And she didn't want to be the one to break it to him, but she didn't see anyone else lining up to do the job. "Aang. Remember the story you told me about what happened at the North Pole? With the Ocean spirit?"
Aang nodded warily.
"You allowed a major elemental spirit access to your body and your power. And you wiped out the Fire Nation fleet."
"Yes," Aang said slowly, not understanding where she was going.
"What did you think happened to the men on those ships?"
The confusion on Aang's face melted into dawning horror. "Oh no," he gasped. "I didn't—all those people…" His faced turned a sickly shade of milky white.
"It's not directly your fault," Mira soothed, covering his hand with hers. "That was Tui's. But you've got to be a little more careful when dealing with the spirits."
"Like how?" Aang asked, his eyes pleading. He swallowed hard. "I don't want to make that same mistake again."
Mira nodded. "The first thing you've got to know is that spirits don't see us the same way that we see each other. Spirits were around eons before we were, and they will continue to live on after our descendants are long gone. We are around for a blink of an eye to them. They don't value our lives like we do."
"Really?' Aang asked, skeptical.
"The Moon Spirit only saved Yue so that she could give her life back," Mira reminded. "She didn't stop to think about what kind of life the princess might have had. Yue was simply a tool for her to use."
"Is that why you don't like them?" Aang asked. "Because you think your spirit might do the same to you?"
Mira shifted uncomfortably. Aang was hitting a little close to home with that one. "Sort of. I'm also not a big fan because of the kakodaemons."
"The spirit you banished in Chin," Aang clarified.
"Yes. They aren't as powerful as major elemental spirits, but they still see us the same way. We're simply toys to be played with until we're gone. And then we're just replaced by the next batch of humans. Now most minor spirits, like Hei Bai, are either apathetic to our presence or mischievous. They like to pull pranks, cause a little mayhem, but it's nothing serious. There are some, though, who are truly evil, who enjoy chaos and bloodshed. Those are the ones that you don't see often."
"Why not?"
"The major spirits might not value us too highly, but they know better than to let a bunch of chaos spirits run wild. That's why, right around the time when this world began, the eight element spirits came together and locked the chaos spirits away. Now, most of the time, they're kept locked up in the spirit world. But every so often, a human does something terrible and evil. That gives the chaos spirit enough power to slip through the cracks between this world and our world. And they start causing chaos."
"And the only way to make it go back is to banish it?"
Mira nodded. "Depending on the wrong, sometimes you need to add a few things. Like telling the truth about Chin. Or solving a crime. But banishment usually works by itself."
"How many people can perform a banishment?" Aang asked curiously.
Mira shrugged. "I don't know. Guang was a little vague on that point."
"Guang?"
"He was the shaman who taught me. Crazy old man," she said, shaking her head, a small smile touching her lips. "But he knew his stuff."
"What happened to him?"
"I assume he's still in that old abandoned village where I first met him. Maybe someday I'll find him again…" Mira drifted off, her mind lost in memory.
She hadn't really expected anything from the village when she'd first gone through it. No one had lived there in years (as the rotting houses would testify to). She'd poked her head in a couple of the homes in the hopes of finding something useful, but anything of that nature had been taken by looters long ago. She was just checking the last house on the main road when it happened.
There was a pile of blankets in the corner, and Mira had picked at one as she tried to determine how viable they still were. What she hadn't expected was for the pile to start moving.
"These are mine!" cried the pile. "Go find your own!"
Mira had let out the strongest curse word she knew and leapt back, her heart beating a million miles a minute. She had a knife in her hand before she was even aware of grabbing it.
The pile shuddered and spat out a weathered old man. He was shorter than Mira, his back slightly curved, a white puffball of hair balanced precariously on the top of his head. He squinted up at Mira. "What's a girl like you going around cursing like that?" he'd asked, one feathery eyebrow arched up.
"What's an old man like you doing scaring girls like me?" Mira had retorted, her grip on her knife loosening.
He'd stared at her for a moment, before throwing his head back and laughing (which was surprisingly deep and hearty for someone his age). "You've got spirit, child," he said. And then he froze, staring at her with wide, slightly cloudy eyes.
"What?" Mira said defensively, as her feet started to edge toward the door.
"It's you," he breathed.
Mira's heart stopped. There was no way he could know who she was. He was a hermit who lived in an abandoned old town. He couldn't know…
She turned and tried to bolt out the door, but suddenly he was next to her, grabbing her bicep with a deceptive strength. "I was wondering if you would ever come," he said, still staring into her hood.
"I think you've mistaken me for someone else," Mira mumbled, avoiding his gaze.
"She said you'd come."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mira denied, but she knew all too well what he was talking about.
"It's not every day you run into a spirit-born," he said slyly.
"Okay, yes, I'm spirit-born!" Mira said, ripping her arm away from the old man. "That doesn't mean anything."
"It means more than you will ever know," he said sagely, his eyes boring into hers.
"As wonderful as this has been…" Mira drawled, turning away. She needed to get away from here as fast as she could.
"Don't," he said, and against her better judgment, she stopped. "You know more than most," he said, and she turned her head slightly to listen. "But it won't be enough."
"What do you mean?" Mira asked, curious in spite of herself.
"Let me help you," he said. "It's what she wants."
Mira whirled around, sparks in her eyes. "Why should I give a damn what she wants?" she hissed. "She hasn't seemed to care about me for the past fifteen years, so why should she care now?"
"She saved your life for a reason," he said, unfazed by her anger. "You need to be prepared for what comes next."
"What does come next?" Mira asked, suddenly tired. "More stealing? More sleepless nights? More days without food? Because I'm tired of all that. I'm so tired." She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, a wave of unexplainable sadness washing over her.
"I cannot tell you," he said. "But I can teach you what I know, and perhaps it will help."
"Why should I trust you?" she asked, opening her eyes and regarding him carefully.
"You don't have to," he shrugged. "But do you really want to go back to what you have? I can give you a few month's respite at the least. Maybe more."
Mira had to admit, it sounded tempting. Ninety days of safety. Ninety days of being herself, and not someone else. But it was his next words that really clinched it. "I don't care who you were, or what you did. I only care that you're willing to learn."
Mira watched him as her insides fought. Which path to choose? She could turn around and walk away, and never see this man again…
…or she could stay there, and bow to him in a gesture of respect to her new tutor.
"I'll bet he was pretty amazing."
Mira shook her head slightly and turned her attention back to the present, and to the young Avatar in front of her. "Yeah," she answered. "He was something, alright."
"You know, I think I figured out why I wanted you to join us," Aang said suddenly, looking pensive.
"You didn't know when you asked me?" Mira asked, an eyebrow arched.
"I did, sort of. You said you were all alone, and I knew what that felt like. I just—didn't want you to be alone anymore. That's why I asked you," he explained. "But…I also got this weird feeling. Like I sometimes get with Avatar stuff. I just knew you needed to come with us."
"And now you know why?"
Aang nodded. "I think you're supposed to teach me about spirits. Like Guang did with you. I don't really know a lot about them, and you do. I don't think it was an accident that we ran into you." He paused, and gave her an unreadable look. "I'm really glad you did. You saved my life in Omashu. I didn't ever thank you for that."
"You don't have to," Mira said, fidgeting uncomfortably.
"I want to," he said earnestly, leaning forward. "You didn't have to jump in front of that shuriken for me."
"Um, yes, I did," Mira snorted. "In case you hadn't noticed, you're the Avatar." She nudged him gently in the side. "You're kind of a big deal." Now it was Aang's turn to fidget uncomfortably. "But that's not the only reason why," she continued, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're a pretty neat kid, you know that?" Aang grinned at the compliment. "But don't tell the others I said that," she warned. "I've got a reputation to maintain."
She did not expect what came next. Aang threw his arms around her in a hug. She stiffened, unused to the contact. She wasn't exactly a hugger. But she allowed Aang his moment of affection, and then gently peeled his hands off her. "Feel better?" she asked, remembering why he'd come to her in the first place.
Aang's face flickered slightly, and he gave a weak smile. "For now. Thanks for listening."
"When you don't talk much, listening's something that comes easy to you."
Aang left soon after that, and Mira spent a little more time under the shade of the canyon tree. Then she donned her cloak and walked back to the campsite, only to find Toph trying to provoke Aang, who was attempting to meditate.
"Aang! I found these nuts in your bag." She held up a green cloth bag and wiggled it around in the air. "I figured you wouldn't mind. And besides, even if you did, you're too much of a pushover to do anything about it."
Aang cracked open an eye, annoyance flashing across his face. He took a deep breath and rearranged his features into a neutral expression. "As a matter of fact, I don't mind. I'm happy to share anything I have."
"You know, I'm really glad you feel that way, because I also have this great new nutcracker."
She wouldn't…oh, who am I kidding? It's Toph. Of course she would.
She held Aang's precious glider in her hands. She pulled out a nut, placed it on the flat rock in front of her, and brought one end of the glider down hard until it smashed against the nut's shell with a loud crack.
"Actually, I'd prefer if you didn't..." Another crack. "That's an antique, hand crafted by the monks..." Crack. "It's a delicate instrument!"
"It's not the only delicate instrument around here," she mocked.
Mira could tell what Toph was trying to do, but Aang just wouldn't take the bait. Toph saw this and huffed in frustration before walking off, making sure to bang Aang's glider against as many rocks as she could. Aang flinched with each sound, but forced himself to close his eyes and resume his meditation.
"Hey, Aang, have you seen—" Katara began to ask as she entered the campsite.
"Meditating here!" Aang snapped.
"It's important," Katara said with a worried tone. "It's almost sundown and Sokka isn't back yet. I think we should search for him."
Aang responded immediately, leaping off his rock. "We'll find him faster if we split up." He turned to look at Mira.
"We really want him back?" she muttered. Katara shot her a glare. "I'm just joking," she said hastily. After Katara turned away, she added, "Sort of."
Aang went straight out of the canyon, Katara went left, leaving Mira to go right. She wandered aimlessly down the side canyon, kicking at loose rocks and peering down divergent caverns. She wasn't truly worried about Sokka. He'd probably lost track of time wandering around. Spirits knew he'd been bored out of his mind in the morning. He'd gone hunting, though Mira wondered what on earth he'd find in a barren, stone canyon. But it had gotten him out of camp, and out of earshot. He was probably just caught up in the thrill of the hunt, or something like that.
Mira swept her eyes across the canyon floor before peering down a side canyon. She hadn't seen any sign of him yet…wait. She turned her gaze back to the canyon floor and squinted. That brown, scraggly bush in the middle of the canyon looked rather odd…
"Sokka?" she called out. "Is that you?"
The scraggly bush wiggled frantically and turned, revealing Sokka's head. The rest of him was stuck in a narrow crack on the canyon floor. "How did you manage to do that?" she asked, amused.
"Shut up," he growled darkly. "Now can you help me?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Not going to happen."
"Really?!" he exclaimed. "I know you don't like me, but you leaving me here? That's cold."
She glared at him. "You really think I can get you out of there by pulling? Look." She reached down and grabbed at his wrists before pulling as hard as she could. She could feel Sokka's wrists protesting under the treatment, and after a few moments, she let go. "I'm going to dislocate your wrists before I get you out of there."
"Point taken," Sokka admitted grudgingly.
"Now can I do what I was going to before you got all pissed at me?"
"Yes," Sokka said reluctantly. "Um…what was that again?
"I'm calling in reinforcements." She raised two fingers to her lips and blew. A piercing whistle echoed through the canyon, multiplying and bouncing off stone wall.
"Monkeyfeathers, that was loud," Sokka complained, wincing.
"I'm calling for help, and you're complaining?"
"…Fine. No."
It wasn't long before Aang bounded into the canyon stretch, looking this way and that. He caught sight of Sokka and Mira, and bounded over. "Sokka! Are you okay?"
He reached down to tug at Sokka's hands, but Mira reached out to stop him. "We tried that," she warned. "It won't work."
"Hmm..." he said thoughtfully, scratching his head. "I bet I can airbend you out of here." He raised his arms up before sweeping them down and sending a gust of air into the crevice. But the only thing it did was make Sokka look extremely wind-blown.
"Seriously, Aang, I know you're new at it, but I could use a little earthbending here. How about it?" Sokka pleaded.
Aang's face fell, and he looked down at his feet. "I can't. I can't do it."
Sokka began to look annoyed. "If you can't earthbend me out of here, go get Toph."
Aang looked up, then avoided Sokka's gaze. "I can't do that either."
"You can't?" Sokka asked doubtfully. "Why not?"
"It would just be really…uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable? Well, I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable." The irony was not lost on Mira.
Aang crouched down in front of Sokka. "Thanks, Sokka. This whole earthbending thing really has me confused. There's so much pressure. Everyone expects me to get it right away. It puts me in a really awkward position."
Mira pressed her lips together as Sokka nodded thoughtfully. "Awkward position… I think I know the feeling."
"If I try, I fail. But if I don't try, I'm never going to get it. I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place."
This was too much for Mira. A snort erupted from her lips, causing Aang to look up in confusion. "It's nothing," she said, waving her hand. "Forget it."
A baby sabertooth moose-lion ambled into the canyon and circled Sokka's head. Sokka gestured to the cub and said, "Aang, Mira, this is my friend Foo Foo Cuddlypoops."
Mira snorted again. "You named a baby sabertooth moose-lion Foo Foo Cuddlypoops?"
"That's a baby sabertooth moose-lion?" Sokka asked. He squinted as he regarded the cub in a new light. "He doesn't look anything like one."
"It's hard to tell before their giant teeth and horns grow in," Aang supplied helpfully. "Whatcha doin' out here, little guy?" he cooed, picking it up. "Did you lose your mama?"
"Um, I wouldn't…" Mira trailed off as a full-grown sabertooth moose-lion emerged from the bushes, overgrown teeth bared in a snarl. She muttered a mild oath as it roared, shaking its head in an unspoken challenge.
Aang held out the baby cub in a placating gesture. "Hey, there…we found your cub!" He carefully set the cub down, and it ran past its mother into the bushes. Aang smiled weakly. "See? We have no problem with you! We're friendly."
"You really think she understands that?" Mira muttered to him, her knives feeling pathetically weak at the moment.
As if in response to what she'd said, the moose-lion roared again.
"Aang, this is bad!" Sokka cried frantically. "You gotta get me outta here!"
A third roar, and the moose-lion charged straight at them. Aang pinwheeled his arms, and a cushion of air formed under the moose-lion, sending it soaring over their heads. It hit the ground behind them before skidding around, even angrier than before.
"This is really bad!" Sokka repeated. "Please, Aang! You have to earthbend me out, there's no other way!"
Aang bit his lip, but turned to Sokka and sank into an earthbending stance anyway. He stomped and punched up, but nothing happened. Aang smiled nervously and looked back at the moose-lion. The creature snorted and lowered its head, preparing for another charge. Aang abruptly changed tactics and leaped onto a nearby rock formation. "Whoo-hoo! Look at me!" He started dancing and flailing wildly in an attempt to distract the moose-lion.
The moose-lion didn't take the bait. She continued to focus on Sokka, and Mira could only stare as the creature began to charge. She felt exceedingly worthless. What good were her knives against an angry, charging beast? There was nothing she could do, and terror pooled in her gut as she realized this. "Aang!" she shrieked, unable to tear her gaze away from the moose-lion.
A burst of air blew the moose-lion off course, sending it veering away from Mira and Sokka. Aang landed in front of them, arms up and ready for the next charge.
"Please don't leave me again," Sokka whimpered.
"I won't," Aang promised, determination written all over his face. He stared at the moose-lion, which was about to charge once more. Aang didn't budge as it started to gallop towards him. Just as it drew near, he shoved out his hands and sent the moose-lion flying back with a powerful gust of air. It landed with a crash, and when it stood up, it cast Aang an evil glare before turning and plodding back into the bushes.
A slow clapping sound broke through the tense silence. Mira turned to see Toph sitting on a rock formation nearby, having apparently seen the whole thing.
"What are you doing here?" Sokka asked in shock.
"Just enjoying the show," she said casually.
"What? You were there the whole time?" Aang asked, irritated.
She shrugged. "Pretty much."
"…The hell were you thinking?" Mira croaked, finally able to find her voice.
"Why didn't you do something?" Aang questioned angrily. "We were in trouble!" He gestured to Sokka. "You could've gotten him out and helped us get away!"
Toph tilted her head thoughtfully. "I guess it just didn't occur to me."
"Didn't…occur…" Mira could barely form a coherent thought. "The hell were you thinking?" she repeated.
Toph ignored her and pulled out a nut from Aang's bag. She placed it on the rock and began to swing the glider to crack it. Only Aang's hand shot out and intercepted it before it could get there. "Enough! I want my staff back!"
He yanked it from her hands, and she hopped off the rock to stand in front of him. "Do it now," she ordered, eyes shining in excitement.
"What?"
"Earthbend, Twinkletoes." She pointed at the bushes where the moose-lion had just disappeared. "You just stood your ground against a crazy beast, and even more impressive," She pointed to herself, "you stood your ground against me. You've got the stuff," she said, beaming.
"But…" Aang spluttered.
"Do it!"
Aang reacted in an instant, sinking lower, stomping his foot, and punching the air. A large, nearby rock rocketed into the canyon wall with a crash.
"You did it!" Toph exclaimed. "You're an earthbender."
"I can't believe it!" Aang cried, his eyes wide with excitement.
"Aww, this is really a wonderful, touching moment," Sokka said with a false sugary sweetness. "So, could you get me out of here so I can give you both a big, snuggly hug?"
"No problem, Sokka!" Aang said eagerly, rushing forward to help.
Toph held an arm out to stop him. "Actually, you should probably let me do that. You're still a little new to this. You might accidentally crush him."
"Yeah, no crushing please."
Toph stomped down, and Sokka shot up out of the hole with a pop. She grabbed him by the head and pulled him forward until he was completely free.
Aang bent down and helped him to his feet. Together they made the trip back to the campsite, where Katara was waiting anxiously. As they emerged, Katara rushed toward them. "I heard the whistle," she explained. "But I couldn't find a way to get to you. So I thought I'd wait back here. But I'm so glad you found him!" She enveloped Sokka in a hug.
Sokka's expression became one of rare seriousness. "The whole time that I was in that hole, not knowing if I would live or die… it makes a man think about what's really important. I realized—"
"Hey Katara, look what I can do!" Aang exclaimed. He punched out again, and a rock formation broke in half.
"You did it! I knew you would!" She looked over at Toph. "You tried the positive reinforcement, didn't you?"
"Yep," Toph said, barely able to contain her laughter. "It worked wonders."
Aang rushed off to tell Appa the good news, and Toph turned toward her earth tent. Mira grabbed her arm before she could leave.
"The next time you want to make a point, try to avoid risking our lives."
"…I will make no such promises."
Toph approached Mira again later that night, after supper had come and gone. Mira was stretched out on the ground, playing with a small pebble, and staring up into the starry sky. Suddenly, the stars were blotted out, and a silhouette in the shape of Toph was standing above her. "Can I help you?" Mira asked, squinting up at her.
Toph shuffled from side-to-side, clearly not sure what to say. Mira waited patiently, knowing that if it were worth saying, Toph would spit it out.
After minutes of huffy silence, Toph groaned. "Aw, forget it." She plopped down on the ground next to Mira, her jaw working in frustration.
"Apology accepted," Mira said cheekily.
"What?!" Toph snapped.
"Your apology. I accept it."
"I didn't apologize," Toph hissed through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry," Mira said, propping herself up on one elbow. "What was that, then?"
"What was what?"
"The shuffling. And the huffing. I'm assuming it was not your attempt to dance and sing. At least, I'm hoping."
Toph squeaked in indignation. "I—you—urgh!"
Mira grinned and tapped Toph twice on the shoulder. "Relax, Hotshot. I'm only teasing."
"Yeah, well…" Toph crossed her arms so tightly they seemed locked together. She searched for a change in subject. "What was the tapping for?"
"To let you know I'm smiling," Mira answered. "Part of the whole, 'I'm teasing you' thing."
Toph frowned. "I don't need anyone to do that for me," she grumbled.
"I know." Mira shrugged. "Just thought it might be nice to really know when someone's smiling at you. I'm not doing it out of pity, you know. Spirits know I don't pity you." Well, she did. A bit. But Toph didn't need to know that.
The earthbender remained silent. An uncertain look crept across her face, like she wasn't sure how to respond.
"Look," Mira said with a sigh. "You can push everyone out, if you want. Tell yourself you won't get hurt, it's easier that way. I know. I'm the same way. But…" her eyes slid over to where Katara was lying on her sleeping roll, laughing at something Aang was saying, "I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I've been missing out. On…" she struggled getting the word out, "Friends. Maybe it isn't so bad, getting attached. Or maybe I'm just getting soft," she added as an afterthought. That idea had been floating around in her head for a while. She'd been letting her guard down, telling the others her secrets. Was it wise to trust them with so much? Probably not. But as the days and weeks went by, Mira found herself not caring quite so much. "Take that as you will," she said to Toph, and she rolled over to give the other girl some privacy.
Since when have I been one to give advice? Mira wondered.
Since you found someone like you. Someone you can tell the things you wished someone had told you.
Mira found that her sleep was just a tad sweeter that night.
"I don't not like you." These were the first words out of Mira's mouth the next morning. Sokka looked up from rolling his sleeping bag, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
"What?"
"Yesterday, you said I don't like you. That's not strictly true."
"Uh, that's great?" he said uncertainly, trying to work out the logic.
"I just want you to know. It's not true."
"I know," Sokka sighed, sitting back on his heels. "I was just a little on edge from being stuck in a hole all day."
Mira nodded and turned away, her business settled. She wasn't sure why his remark had sat so uneasily with her. She wasn't a stranger to hate (or, she supposed, dislike in this case). But for some reason, the thought that any of her companions still doubted her tied a knot in her stomach. She pushed the feeling away and focused on helping Katara prepare breakfast.
They spent two weeks in the canyon. Aang needed a break to study earthbending, and it was easier to remain in the secluded, boulder-ridden canyon. Mira was secretly glad for the respite. Aang could learn earthbending, and they weren't traveling every day. Mira was able to begin and maintain a steady training routine. She knew there was no real need to get into shape (seeing as she already was), but she enjoyed the discipline and work that training provided.
…And it gave her plenty of opportunities to knock Sokka flat on his ass.
Well, it was his fault for asking. He'd stumbled across Mira working on different forms with her rods one day. She was swinging at a large rock, dodging and ducking around it while sneaking in short jabs and blows. The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end, and she got the tingling feeling that someone was watching her. She whirled around, her rod pointing straight out, the other ready to swing at a moment's notice.
"Monkeyfeathers!" Sokka cringed away violently, stumbling as he tried to correct his balance.
"What do you want?" she asked, mopping the perspiration from her face with the fabric of her shirt. She meant no disrespect with the question; she was merely asking why he was there.
"Um," he started eloquently. He swallowed quickly and said, "I was wondering…"
"Well, spit it out," she prodded gently.
"Couldyoupossiblyummaybetrain meorhelpmewithfightingorsome thinglikethat?"
She blinked. "'Scuse me?"
He flushed a deep red. "No, I knew it was a stupid idea." He turned to leave.
"Sokka!" she called out. He turned around. "I just didn't understand what you said, Meathead," she ribbed.
"Oh," he said, cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. He took a deep breath and tried again. "Could you train me? Or help me with fighting?"
Mira contemplated this for a moment. Spirits knew Sokka could use the work. His fighting left little to be desired. And it would give her a sparring partner. One could only fight against rocks for so long. It was an easy decision. "Sure."
He lowered his eyes. "I understand. I know I wouldn't be an easy student, and it was stupid to ask anyway." He began to walk out of the canyon.
Mira's face screwed up in puzzlement. "Where are you going?"
He turned back again. "I'm leaving."
"Why?"
"You said…" he trailed off. "You said no."
"Sokka," Mira said, unable to keep a smirk off her face, "I said yes."
He blinked. "I knew that."
She chuckled and gestured him to join her as she undid her belt and set it on a nearby rock. The absence of the familiar weight was jarring, but she knew it would be easy to compensate for. She stood back, crossed her arms, and sent a critical gaze across the boy in front of her.
He was an average height, lanky, and a little gawky. He was slightly skinnier than normal, but Mira knew that wasn't to be counted as a disadvantage. After all, she was nearly all those things, and she rarely found someone who could beat her. There was an inherent air of insecurity and uncertainty about him that was discouraging, but Mira saw more than a hint of determination deep within his eyes. Once he was trained, he would be a formidable opponent, indeed. "I've seen worse," she finally announced.
"Thanks?" Sokka said uncertainly.
"Take it as a compliment," she said, slapping his back as she walked past him. She found a relatively flat, clear area for sparring, and waved him over. "We're going to start with your club first," she said, and he drew his traditional Water Tribe weapon. Mira extended her hand out. "May I?" Sokka nodded and handed it over.
She spun it around in her hand a few times to get the feel of its weight. She ran a hand down the sides, feeling the well-cared for metal and the polished, blue stone that stood as the greatest threat on the club. One direct hit from that, and his opponent didn't stand a chance. She handed it back. "It's beautiful," she said. "Not like mine." She held up her handmade clubs, which looked absolutely primitive next to Sokka's.
"I didn't make mine from scratch," he pointed out.
"No," she said simply, reexamining hers. She snapped out of it and turned her attention to her pupil. "Right then. We'll start with swinging."
"Really?" Sokka blurted out, looking disheartened.
"You'd be surprised how many people mess that part up," Mira said dryly. "Now if you're alright with that…?"
Sokka nodded silently.
"When you swing it, make sure you've got a good grip on it," she started. "Don't want it to fly out of your hand. And while you're swinging, plant your feet. You'll learn how to dance and dodge later. For now, we want to focus on delivering a solid, powerful blow. Imagine your feet are like tree trunks. You're rooted to the ground. This'll give you more power behind your swing. That make sense?"
He nodded, tightening his grip on his club and sinking slightly lower.
"Alright. Give it a swing." She only saw what he was going to do mere seconds before it happened. He swung with all his might, but instead of aiming at open air, his club was headed right for her ribs. Mira was only just able to bring her own rod up and deflect his swing. "Not at me, Meathead!" she cried.
He grinned weakly. "Oops?"
She scowled and rapped him on the head none-too-lightly with her rod. "How about we use what little common sense we have?"
"Okay," he said weakly. "Sorry."
She pushed his apology to the side and continued. "Alright, so that looked good, but I bet your arm hurts now, huh?"
He rotated his shoulder and grimaced.
"You put a little too much behind that swing. You'll find it doesn't take a lot to knock someone out. Especially with that metal stick you've got," she said, reaching out and tapping his club. "You want to save energy for later." She eyed his scrawny arms in distaste. "Maybe we should start with strength exercises."
"Hey!" Sokka cried indignantly. "I'm strong!" He flexed his non-existent arm muscles. "See?"
Mira was unimpressed. She rolled up her sleeve and flexed her own muscles. Despite being female, her arms were practically bulging compared to his. And it wasn't like she was well-built by any means.
Sokka pouted. "Fine. Point taken."
"Right then. Twenty push-ups."
"Me?"
"You see anyone else here?"
"Now?"
"You think I'm asking just for kicks?"
Sokka grumbled under his breath, but sank to the ground to begin the laboriously painful process of push-ups. Mira watched disdainfully for a few moments before letting herself fall to the ground in a push-up position. She began to pump her arms up and down, quickly catching up to Sokka. "Watch out, Meathead," she warned. "I'm gonna beat you."
She saw him grit his teeth from the corner of her eye, and he upped the pace. She'd fully been expecting to beat him, but they ended up finishing at the same time. She regarded him thoughtfully. It seemed she'd found the best motivation for him. "Not bad," she said, impressed.
"See?" he crowed, triumphantly. "I can do it!"
"Sokka?"
"Yes?"
"You're panting. I'm not."
"…Oh."
"Still got a lot of work to do."
"Where've you two been?" Katara asked curiously as Mira and Sokka returned to camp that evening.
"Meathead asked me to teach him to fight," Mira answered as she lay back on the ground.
"Training. I asked for training," Sokka stressed, collapsing onto his sleeping roll.
"Really?" Katara asked, surprised. "And you said yes?"
Mira nodded. "He's got potential." She could see Sokka practically glowing from the praise, so she threw in, "You know. For a scrawny kid."
"Hey! You're a kid!"
"And yet, not scrawny."
She heard him flop over on his sleeping roll and mutter something that sounded suspiciously like, "Freakishly strong supergirl."
Mira rolled her eyes in amusement. She didn't want to admit it, but she could see this training actually being sort of fun.
This became the routine for two weeks. Aang and Toph would wake early for earthbending training, and Mira would kick Sokka until he groggily climbed from the funky-smelling innards of his sleeping bag. The two groups would split up, Aang and Toph to a large, well-equipped training area, Mira and Sokka to a clear, flat sparring area. She would show him a few pointers, then let him have at it. She'd correct him a few times, then watch as he practiced while still calling out tips. Finally, she would let him try to hit her. He was pathetic at first, and Mira didn't even have to pay attention as she sparred with him. But gradually, day after day, he improved. Mira found herself having to focus more and more on the sparring. His arms were more powerful, and he swung the club with more and more force. The first time her knocked her club away, he looked so overjoyed that Mira didn't have the heart to tell him that she'd been distracted by a stray rabbit-squirrel.
She gradually phased in moving and dodging while swinging. She started working on his dodging by throwing little rocks at him while he attempted to twist out of their way. For the first few days he collapsed on his sleeping bag covered in pebble-shaped bruises, but he began to improve in this area as well. Mira had to really try when flicking the stones his direction.
It finally got to the point where they were sparring every day. Sokka was no match for Mira, but she enjoyed the practice, and he was slowly becoming more of a threat. Not a huge threat, but better than he had been. Mira felt a grudging pride as she watched him progress. She didn't see herself as much of a teacher, but it seemed that she was doing something right.
She was lying on the ground in the campsite one evening, planning out the next day's schedule, when Aang stumbled into the canyon, his eyelids drooping. "Tomorrow," he declared as he sprawled across the ground, "We are taking a break."
"Really?" Katara shot Toph a dubious glance.
"Really," Toph confirmed. "He's been doing good. A day off wouldn't hurt."
"Yes!" Sokka crowed, punching the air.
Mira smirked and decided to have some fun. "Why are you celebrating?" she asked Sokka seriously.
"Because…we're taking a break…" He faltered. "Aren't we?"
"Toph said Aang deserved a break. I didn't say anything about you."
Sokka sagged back to the ground, his expression downcast. "Criminy."
Mira held out for a few more seconds before a snicker escaped her lips. "I was kidding, Meathead," she teased. "You're doing good…for a twig." Sokka, who had puffed up at the compliment, deflated at her jab.
"Any plans?" Katara asked Aang.
He perked up, a twinkle in his eyes. "Actually…I was thinking we could all plan mini-vacations. We've all been working hard, and I think we deserve breaks. It doesn't have to be anything big. We'll each pick something to do. How's that?"
"I like it," Toph proclaimed.
"I guess we could all use some fun," Katara said slowly, a smile growing on her face.
"What about the Fire Lord?" Sokka interjected. "We have a deadline!"
"And we'll make it," Katara said. "We could use a break."
Sokka grumbled incoherently, but didn't object further. Mira caught his eye and nodded imperceptibly. She agreed. But Aang was adamant, and they were outnumbered. So she kept quiet.
She wasn't opposed to a break, as demonstrated by the conversation before. She did object to a series of breaks that served only to waste time. The way she saw it, they could have fun after the summer.
Provided we make it past that.
…And that pessimistic little voice was exactly why Mira always seemed irritated.
A/N: Originally, everything after Toph and Mira's little chat was in the next chapter. But that was way too effing long and didn't feel right. So I swapped it around, and I like it a lot better like this.
Please review and tell me what you think! Again, I love hearing from you all. Your support means the world to me.