The trio stood before the large paifang gate looking up at the sign before them. They had come to the right place, Master Yu’s Earthbending Academy. Sokka knew they had come to the academy in hopes of Master Yu being the one to teach Aang to Earthbend but Gaoling seemed to bore him. Katara seemed to understand the situation better than her brother did. It was important that Aang find just the right teacher. However, after the words of advice Bumi had given Aang the younger bender was hung up on the idea of an Earthbending master who stopped and listened before striking. Possible candidates were tossed aside because of a simple trick of the light bouncing off the fog in the swamp showing Aang the vision of a young girl and a flying boar.
“You ready for this Aang,” Katara looked over at her younger friend with a look that old him he could back out of the lesson before he went too far.
“If I don’t go in there I’ll never find out if Master Yu is the instructor I’m looking for,” Aang, on the other hand, looked back with a look that spoke of all the hope in the world.
Aang felt silly in the outfit he that he was required to wear. Everyone who took lessons at Master Yu’s academy wore the same green tunic with the gold circle design over a pair of green pants tied at the waist and ankles with a green sash around the waist. On the head, everyone wore the same bowl shaped helmet tied at the chin. Aang had to admit the helmet was at least good for covering his distinctive baldhead and arrow markings. The other boys in the beginner’s class were at least four to six years younger than Aang and looked eager to be learning how to Earthbend. Aang, on the other hand, was bored from waiting and began to fidget with his ear trying to get at a small bit of wax.
The group of eight boys in the class formed two lines of four. In one line, the boys had large rocks in front of them, while the line Aang was in had no rocks in front of them. It was clear that Aang had no clue what was about to happen, as he continued to pay more attention what was bothering his nose than the other members of the class. As Aang flicked away a piece of crusty wax, a tall slender man in fine robes with a long thin mustache and entered into the courtyard. Stopping in front of the class the man inspected the students. It was clear that this was Master Yu.
“Alright students I want you to take your stance,” as the class began Aang stood still not knowing what was about to happen.
The seven other boys shifted their weight into a firmly rooted Earthbending stance. Aang stood not moving a muscle wondering what was about to happen. Blinking his eyes, he watched as Master Yu walked up and down the line twice inspecting each student before he stopped. Clearing his throat, Master Yu continued with the lesson.
“Now then I want you to strike as though you’re going to punch your opponent,” Master Yu demonstrated the movement the boys were going to make.
Aang was not prepared for what was about to happen next. The boys in the line across from him stomped their foot on the ground causing their rocks to lift into the air. Reaching back with their right hands the boys flung their fists forward punching at the rock. The rock went flying forward towards the line of boys Aang was a part of. The three other boys in Aang’s line had no problem punching into the rocks breaking them into smaller pieces. Aang, however, continued to stand in place as the large rock hit him square in the chest. Aang flew back and sent him into a large pot causing it to shatter into a cloud of dust.
Aang sat in the rubble of the pot covered in dust and small pieces of pottery. Letting out a sigh Aang waited for Master Yu to complain about Aang’s lack of focus and make him redo the stance.
“So do you want to sign up for more lessons, “Aang stared at Master Yu with a blank look on his face, “If you pay for a year I’ll move you up to the next belt.”
Aang blinked a few times at what he was hearing. It sounded to him that the money he made from teaching was more important to Master Yu than helping him learn to Earthbend before the comet came in the summer. Letting out a dejected sigh Aang stood up, dusted himself off, and headed towards the gate to the school. On the other side of the gate Katara and Sokka stood waiting for their younger friend to finish with his free lesson.
“He’s not the one who’ll teach me to Eartbend,” Katara could tell Aang was disappointed in learning Master Yu was not going to be the teacher he wanted.
Aang felt a tiny bit of dirt and dust in his right ear and leaned his head to the side patting it on the left. As the tiny bits of rock and dirt fell to the ground, two slightly older boys exited from the academy talking to one another.
“I think The Boulder has a chance to get the belt back in Earth Rumble six,” the first boy commented.
“He’s going to have to go up against the best Earthbenders around before he can even take on the champ,” the second boy was not so confidant in the skill of The Boulder.
The mention of the Earth Rumble reached Aang’s ears causing the young Avatar to perk up. While Master Yu was a decent teacher, he was not the right person to teach Aang. Bumi had told Aang to look for an Earthbender who stopped to listen to earth before striking. However, the only thing Master Yu seemed to listen to was the sound of students paying for lessons.
Curiosity getting the better of Aang he walked over to the two older boys, “Excuse me but can you tell me where this Earthbending tournament is taking place.”
The first boy looked at Aang who had a look of extreme hope written across his face, “It’s on the island of Noneoya. None o’ ya business!”
The two boys walked away from the scene laughing at the joke the first student had made. Sokka joined in the laughter thinking the joke was worth remembering. “I gotta remember that one.”
Katara saw the dejected look upon Aang’s face and place a reassuring hand upon his shoulder. The simple gesture attempted to help Aang feel better about his situation. With a determined look upon her face, Katara turned to Aang and her brother making her intentions known.
“I’ll go take care of this,” Katara then followed the boys around the corner leaving Aang and Sokka alone.
“Hey strong boys wait up!” the boys could hear Katara trying to get the older boys’ attention.
Sokka, having forgotten about the joke made by the boys, looked at the bag he had purchased at the market. The bag had been expensive to purchase, but at the time, Sokka believed it to worth the price. Buyer’s remorse had begun to set in and Sokka looked at the bag with disdain holding out in front of him.
“Who was I kidding I shouldn’t have purchased this bag. Why did you let me get this thing?” Sokka tossed the bad to the ground before folding his arms as a cross look befell his face.
Momo, seeing the bag on the ground, decided it would make a perfect place to sleep and jumped down from Sokka’s shoulder. The lemur inspected the bag giving it a bit of a sniff before climbing inside settling down for some much needed sleep.
“Gee great my bag’s become a lemur sleeping bag,” Sokka decided it was not worth it to fight fate and let out a heavy sigh.
“Well Aang you ready to go find yourself an Earthbending teacher,” Katara returned in time to see Sokka picking up his bag from the ground with Momo still inside asleep.
Aang blinked a few times wondering how Katara had convinced the boys to reveal the location of the Earth Rumble, “How’d you get those guys to tell you where the tournament was?”
“Oh,” Katara coyly looked back over her shoulder, “a girl has her ways.”
Back in the ally, the two boys sighed heavily at their predicament. Katara used her Waterbending to freeze the two boys to the walls of the ally.
“Man beaten by a girl,” one of the boys decided to comment on their situation and if the other had been free he would have bonked the first one on the head for speaking.
(Posted Mon, 19 Mar 2007 23:10)
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