Chapter 15:
A rather large and quaint town sat amongst a few simple hill peaks on flat ground. The houses were black roofed and white walled and rather expensive looking. People moved all through the town going about their days as Sokka, Katara, Aang and Freya stood in a shop. Sokka was staring at a pedestal in which a large green bag was sitting on top of.
"It's pricey, but I really do like it." Sokka declared as Aang sat on the floor, his bamboo hat on his head and Katara watched Sokka who stared at the bag thinking in concern. Momo sat on the younger girl's shoulders as Freya looked around at the people bustling around the city.
"Then you should get it. You deserve something nice." Katara believed
"I do, don't I?" Sokka smiled before he turned back with an exaggerated gesture. "But no. It's too expensive, I shouldn't."
"Alright, then don't." Katara said getting slightly annoyed now.
"Sokka it all comes down to if you need a new bag. What will you use it for?" Freya questioned with a sigh. She shrugged before she lead the way out of the store and Katara followed her as Aang got up to do the same. Sokka slowly walked past the bag and out of the store before he zipped back in, grinning.
"You know what? I'm gonna get it." he decided.
"His indecisiveness is gonna get him frozen." Freya mumbled before Aang was tapped on the shoulder. Turning, the three found a random guy as they waited for Sokka. He held a flier in his hand.
"Psst, psst. Hey, you kids like earthbending? You like throwing rocks? Then check out Master Yu's Earthbending Academy." He handed Aang a flier before turning and walking away. The three peered down at it.
"Look, there's a coupon on the back. The first lesson is free." Aang noticed, turning the flier over.
"Who knows? This Master Yu could be the earthbending teacher you've been looking for." Katara thought.
"Yeah but we'll have to pay for this guy." Freya mumbled.
"We can at least try the first lesson." Katara shrugged and Freya nodded in agreement.
The three turned as Sokka moved over to them with the bag cradled in his arms.
"Happy now princess?" Freya wondered and Sokka scowled at her.
"Shall we go and see him?" Katara offered pointing to the flier as she glanced at her brother and his new purchase.
"Sure." Aang nodded looking excited.
The four moved through the town before they came to the academy, clearly marked with a plaque above the entrance. Aang went in for the free lesson and the water tribe members sat down outside waiting for the verdict.
"Wouldn't it be good if this was the teacher Aang needed?" Katara asked
"I'm not sure if it'd be a good thing." Freya shrugged
"Why not?" Sokka questioned
"Well, if this is who he needs, then we'll have to stay in this village wont we?" Freya asked "Every time we stay in one place for too long it gets attacked."
"That's just because of Zuko and Zhao. Zhao's no longer around and we haven't seen Zuko at all lately." Sokka reminded her.
No… Freya sighed, feeling disappointed before she shoved the feeling away annoyed. "First of all there's more than just those two who will want Aang. The Fire Nation's full of them remember." Freya said "And even if it hasn't happened yet, you want to risk it?"
"So what are you saying?" Katara asked
"Well in my opinion it's best if we're mobile and we keep moving. If we can find a teacher to come with us than that would be more ideal. This guy wont leave, he's a proper teacher. Being paid money to do so." Freya explained "Which leads to another point, we can't pay for him." she reminded the two "Especially after Sokka bought his new accessory." Freya pointed at the bag over the boy's shoulder. "We need to find Aang a teacher but we also need to think about the circumstances of that too."
"I guess you do have a point." Katara thought.
"It's just food for thought that's all." Freya shrugged.
Aang moved out of the academy towards them, wearing white pants, a bamboo hat and a very deep green kimono.
"He's not the one." he declared to the three shrugging before he hit the side of his head to remove dirt from his ear.
"I think The Boulder is gonna win back the belt at Earth Rumble 6." The four turned as two boys walked out of the academy.
"He's gonna have to fight his way through the best earthbenders in the world to even get a shot at the champ." the other spoke.
"Excuse me," Aang suddenly ran over to the two boys, interrupting their conversation and stopping them in their tracks, causing them to turn to him. "but where is this earthbending tournament exactly?" he wondered
"It's on the Island of Noneoya — none o' ya business!" The two started laughing before they turned and walked away.
"Childish." Freya said simply.
"Ha, ha! Oh, I got to remember that one." Sokka laughed as Aang frowned.
Katara and Freya shared a look before the younger girl put her hand on Aang's shoulder.
"I'll take care of this." she assured "Hey strong guys, wait up!" and she ran off after the two boy.
"What's she gonna do?" Aang asked Freya
"Do not ask." she smirked proudly. "But I trained that girl well." she nodded.
"What was I thinking?" Aang and Freya suddenly looked at Sokka who was looking at his new bag with distain "I don't need a new bag. Why'd you let me buy this?" he put it on the ground and Momo jumped from the boy's shoulder and into the bag, curling up to go to sleep.
Sokka and Aang looked up as Katara came back.
"You ready to find an earthbending teacher? Because we're going to Earth Rumble 6!" Freya and Katara shared a high five as Aang looked surprised.
"How did you get them to tell you?" he asked as Sokka picked his bag, with Momo inside, up off the ground.
"Oh, a girl has her ways." Katara said coyly before both girls giggled.
The sun had set and the group made their way towards a mountain in which a cave sat at the base, light flooding out. Many were walking through the tunnel which opened up into a stadium. An arena sat in the middle and the walls were lined with rows of seats.
Many of the seats in the front row were vacant and the four walked along to sit upon them.
"Hey, front row seats! I wonder why no one else is sitting here." Aang said as they took a seat, Aang in the middle.
A second later a giant boulder came flying to crash into the seats beside Sokka, causing the four to get to their feet in surprise.
"I guess that's why." Sokka mumbled.
In the middle of the arena stood a guy, his fist to the floor and rocks flying in every direction.
A small stump of earth rose up with the man on top before he stomped his foot and it lowered back down again.
"Welcome to Earth Rumble 6!" He announced as the crowd cheered. "I am your host, Xin Fu!"
Katara sighed and admired her nails as she sat turned away from the arena beside Freya while Sokka sat looking excited.
"This is just gonna be a bunch of guys chuckin' rocks at each other, isn't it?" she complained
"That's what I paid for." Sokka hoped
"We haven't seen a heap of earth bending so far, it'll be interesting." Freya shrugged.
"The rules are simple. Just knock the other guy out of the ring and you win." Xin Fu explained. He then launched himself up into the announcements stand to the four's right.
"Round one!" he announced "The Boulder—" there was a very muscly man who wore nothing on his well developed chest, had massive sideburns that joined his beard and a small bun on the top of his had. He had arm and shin guards as he raised his arms and then turned to his opponent. "— versus The Big Bad Hippo!" A giant earth bender who was very tall, very wide and had a bit of hair stuffed up on the top of his head stood at the other end. He gave a roar in which he only had four teeth, spaced around him mouth.
"Listen up, Hippo. You may be big, but you ain't bad!" The Boulder addressed "The Boulder's gonna win this in a landslide."
"Hippo mad!" The Hippo roared as he rose his arms.
The Boulder stomped his foot and a rock rose from the stadium floor. He took a wide stance with his feet and swung the top half of his body to punch the rock at the Hippo.
The big bender didn't move and the rock smashed into him, shattering. A piece landed in the Hippo's mouth and he responded by bitting and chewing it before spitting it out.
The Hippo leaped into the air and the entire arena rocked. The Hippo jumped from one foot to the other and rocked the arena from one side to the other.
"Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen! The Hippo is rocking The Boulder!" The Boulder went stumbling over the uneven ground. He seemed to fall head first over the edge of the stadium only to have a slat of earth grow out of the arena. He grabbed it and threw it at The Hippo who was cheering and grinning. The rock hit him in the back and dust went everywhere.
The Hippo turned around as The Boulder took his stance and began to raise his hands as though he was lifting something. As it was The Hippo was lifted off of the ground as The Boulder rose the ground below the big earthbender. With a thrust of his arms The Hippo and the rock he was on went flying out of the arena and smashed into the floor.
"The Boulder wins!"
The Boulder stalked around with his arms in the air cheering to the crowd as they shouted their praise.
"How about The Boulder? He's got some good moves." Katara thought.
"No." Freya decided instantly.
"I don't know." Aang hesitated "Bumi said I need a teacher who listens to the earth. He's just listening to his big muscles."
"Listening is when you wait for your opponent to move first and make your move accordingly." Freya nodded in agreement. "Besides we can't have someone who refers to themselves in third person." she mumbled annoyed. Aang chuckled.
"What do you think, Sokka?" he wondered.
Sokka however was on his feet and, like the rest of the stadium, was shouting his head off like a crazed lunatic.
"His opinion is unnecessary." Freya said and the three turned back at the arena without bothering to get a reply.
"Next, The Boulder versus— Fire Nation Man!" A man walked out with a cape and red pants as he waved around the Fire Nation Flag.
"I'd like to see how fire does against earth." Freya nodded in admittance.
"You've seen that?" Aang said
"No I saw it against coal. Difference." she believed.
The crowd booed at the man as the pathway to the arena crumbled away behind him.
"Boo! Boo!" Sokka shouted as he pointed his thumb at the ground.
"Please to rise for Fire Nation national anthem." and the guy started singing. "Fire Lord, my flame burns for thee!" Freya gapped
"That's the anthem!" she demanded.
Small stones were thrown at the man and Sokka had his own in his hand.
"Go back to the Fire Nation!" Sokka's rock hit the man in the head.
"He is a joke and I'm embarrassed." Freya said
"Why?" Katara asked confused and Aang glanced at them both
"Aren't you?" Freya asked.
The Fire Nation Man gasped as he suddenly sank down into the ground, the earth swallowing him up as he turned until he faced The Boulder. With a raise of his arm The Boulder rose into the air by a pillar that grew below him and the Fire Nation Man looked up worried.
"No. No please!" The Boulder jumped with a grin and fell towards the ground holding his ankles and his knees pointed straight down. When he hit the ground, the Fire Nation Man was launched out of his hole and into the air with a scream before he hit the boulder beside the four in the stands.
"Yeah! Whoo!" Sokka was on his feet again. "The Boulder knows how to put the hurt in the dirt! Yeah! Whoo!"
A man sitting on a badger mole moved across the arena and cleared up the rocks, flattening it again. The next round had The Boulder fighting a bender who tunnelled through the ground like a mole. He was squashed between two boulders.
The next was a man in a mask like a spider monkey. He launched down from above to have a boulder slammed into his stomach. Sokka continued to cheer and yell as The Boulder made poses and showed off his biceps and triceps after every win he gained. He knocked a man from the ring like he was batting a ball before they had reached the final round.
"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Boulder versus your champion… The Blind Bandit!" A girl, no older than Aang stood in the Arena. She wore a dark and light green uniform, had a head band over her black hair which was pulled into a bun behind her head, beside the three bangs that framed her face and fell over her nose. She wore no shoes on her feet and had ankle and wrist bands. She had a cape around her shoulders and held a champion belt above her head for everyone to see. Her eyes were milky and held no colour or indication of sight.
The crowd chanted the girl's cover name as her cape and belt were removed.
"She can't really be blind. It's just part of her character, right?" Katara believed
"Seems she is Katara, look at her eyes." Freya pointed.
"I think she is." Aang agreed
"I think she is… going down!" Sokka shouted causing Aang to flinch.
"If she's blind how can she fight?" Katara questioned
"I can do it with water remember." Freya said as she watched expectantly at the arena.
"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind, girl." The Boulder exclaimed. The girl pointed her finger at the man, correctly getting his position despite not being able to see him.
"Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder." she mocked, causing the Boulder to pause.
"The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanche!" he declared
"Whenever you're ready… The Pebble." she threw her head back and suddenly began to start laughing.
"It's on!"
The two stood and stared at one another, The Boulder beginning to sweat while the girl stood doing nothing. It was the man who took the first step and he slammed his heel into the ground. The girl rose her hands in response, finger tips pointing upwards and she slid her foot in an arc forwards.
The Boulder shouted and rose his other foot to take the next bending move and the girl swung her foot around to slam it into the ground. A tunnel of rocks moved across the arena and towards The Boulder. Freya smiled as Aang watched surprised when The Boulder stepped down right on the moving rocks and the tunnel the girl had created moved his foot and set him up into the splits, facing the opposite direction.
Sokka's grin disappeared in surprise and The Boulder suddenly shouted up to the roof in pain. The girl took a step forwards and jammed the side of her hand downwards. In response three pillars of rock shot out of the ground and The Boulder went flying through the air, out of the arena and into the wall at the base of the stands.
"Your winner, and still the champion, The Blind Bandit!" The girl grinned before she raised her fist into the air.
"No!" Sokka was crying as Freya and Aang shared an excited look.
"How did she do that?" Katara asked
"She waited, and listened." Aang grinned turning to Katara.
"She didn't just throw around rocks, she was strategic. By listening and feeling she was able to anticipate and intercept the next move of her opponent." Freya said impressed.
They watched as Xin Fu jumped down from the announcement stand and beside The Bandit.
"To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat The Blind Bandit!" He pointed to the girl and waited. There was silence amongst the ring. "What? No one dares to face her?" he asked
"I will!" Xin Fu turned to see Aang walked up the steps to the arena smiling.
People began to cheer in response and Xin Fu jumped back into the announcements stand.
"Go Aang! Avenge The Boulder!" Sokka shouted
"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" The Bandit asked loudly and there was an 'oooh' in response from the crowd.
"I don't really want to fight you. I want to talk to you." Aang admitted
"Boo! No talking!" Sokka shouted. In response he was hit by both the two girls
"Don't boo at him!" Katara told him off.
Aang took a step forwards and the girl smiled before she turned sideways and took a step to cause the ground to push up from under Aang. The boy stepped off and the girl looked around as he moved through the air and landed lightly onto his feet.
"Somebody's a little light on his feet. What's your fighting name, The Fancy Dancer?" Aang just smiled and shrugged innocently. Aang was hoisted into the air a second time and he summersaulted over the air.
"Where'd you go?" she wondered before Aang landed behind her.
"Please, wait!" Aang called
"There you are!" she rose her hands and a boulder rose from the ground which she threw at Aang. Aang jumped, turned around and sent two gust of air, one at the boulder and one at The Bandit. She cried out as she went flying through the air and out of the arena. She landed on the ground with an oof. Xin Fu stared down at the scene shocked.
Everyone was silent and Freya smiled proudly before the two siblings beside her grinned at one another and Aang straightened his stance.
The entire stadium erupted into cheers but Aang ignored it and ran off after the girl.
"Please listen! I need an earthbending teacher, and I think it's supposed to be you." he shouted from the stairs as the girl walked off brooding.
"Whoever you are, just leave me alone." She reached the wall and stomped her foot before walking through.
"Wait!" Aang reached the wall as the girl turned and pounded her fists together to have the entranceway close. He put his hands on the wall before turning sadly.
Many of the spectators had moved to the arena were Xin Fu was standing with the sack of gold pieces and the champion belt. Aang trudged forwards frowning and Freya looked at him sadly as Sokka took the winnings and belt from the man, grinning after giving him a hug.
"Way to go, champ!" Sokka congratulated. An arm around Aang's shoulders.
It didn't cheer the boy up.