The Little Dragon

||30

Tuesday, June 30th

Kaida

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    Aang and I stood in the front gate of a dojo compound. The gate is a paifang with a large green sign with Chinese characters written across it. The two of us were matching in a dark green Earth Bending training uniform and a round helmet. "How does anyone do anything in this?" I fiddle with the golden cuffs on my bare feet. "This is so uncomfortable!" I groaned as we walked into the training session. This was just going to be a bunch of rocks being thrown at the Fire Bender. Isn't it.

     The boys are younger and smaller than Aang is by a head. They stand resolute, looking forward. Aang stands up straight in imitation of them. I waved him goodbye, "see you when we are done." I was older than him and put with the class a bit older than myself. When I saw the kids I instantly got worried. They looked like good benders, I let out a groan, I was about to be abused.

    "Everyone line up!" The instructor came out and I took a side, there were four people on the other side of me. Opposite of me was a gruff-looking boy who looked like he eats rocks for breakfast.

    "Take your stances." Instantly they dropped down to this weird foot stance thing. Okay... I was a little delayed because I have no idea what I'm actually doing. I was going to give them hell for making me do this.

    Katara's excuse was "what if someone attacks him while he's training, someone needs to protect him," though there was a smirk on her face. They really just want to see my world burn. They are lucky I am a good sport.

    "Attack!" The teacher shouted and out of nowhere, a rock came flying at my head. I blinked two times in shock before I realized what he had said. I stepped out of the range of the boulter that rock-eater had thrown at me.

    The only thing going through my head was, dodge, don't use fire bending, dodge, don't use fire bending, over and over again as the rocks kept flying at me. "Why won't you attack me!" The rock-eater said from across me.

   "I don't know how!" I said desperately, avoiding another rock. "This is my first day, I only know how to bend pebbles!" I didn't even know how to do that. Then all of a sudden I got hit square in the stomach making me stumble backward. I wasn't paying attention.

    What I would give to have a little Air Bending power so I can shove the rocks back into his face without them figuring out something was off about me. My speech about not knowing how to bend fell on deaf ears because rock-eater over here wouldn't let up until the lesson was completely over.

    When I was done, all I could feel was pain and more pain. I held my stomach from the first and only hit the guy laid on me. I saw another instructor talking to Aang while I approached him from behind. I got the tail end of their conversation.

   "So, are you ready to commit to more lessons? If you pay for the whole year in advance, I'll bump you up to the next belt." Aang looked defeated when he just shook his head and walked towards the gate. I ran up to him, the pain whipped from my face, replaced with a smile.

     "How did it go?" When we walked outside Katara and Sokka were waiting on the side of the road for us.

     Aang shook his head disappointed, "He's not the one."

    "How was your first day as an Earth Bender!" Sokka lightly punched my arm. I grunted in pain, holding it.

    "Everything hurts." Though I wasn't the only one that had a rough day, I looked to Aang who leans over and pats one side of his head, ejecting bits of dirt from his ear. Then I felt the familiar heat of my abuser. I turned around to see the Rock-Eater with one of his other buddies. "He's the guy that kept hurling rocks at me knowing I couldn't do anything." I sent heated glares at the back of his head.

    He passed right past us and we got an earful of their conversation, rock-eater started by saying, "I think The Boulder is gonna win back the belt at Earth Rumble 6."

    Then his buddy replied, He's gonna have to fight his way through the best Earth Benders in the world to even get a shot at the champ." Then out of nowhere Aang ran up to the two, and I followed behind him to make sure he was safe.

    "Excuse me, but where is this Earth Bending tournament exactly?" Aang said and they looked at him then me behind him. A smirk ran up on Rock-Eaters' face, nothing good was about to come out of this conversation.

    "It's on the Island of Noneoya - none o' ya business!" I rolled my eyes, wow, what a great one, I almost forgot how to laugh. They started to walk away and I had my hand on my hips.

    "I would do something if Fire Bending wasn't the root of all evil at the moment." I clicked my tongue and turned on my heels to see Sokka and Katara looking less than happy.

     "This is the kid that beat you up?" Sokka took out his boomerang and started hitting his hand with it menacingly.

    "Yeah, but it's whatever, I get it." I shrugged, he just wanted to show off, I was more peeved with the teacher putting me against him in the first place. Then again, they were real jerks just a moment ago. I turned on my heel, maybe I should damn it all and singe their feet so they can't bend. I smiled to myself before I frowned, no, that's evil, I will not be doing that.

    Luckily Katara was on my side and I watched her put a hand on Aang's shoulder and spoke in a very threatening calm tone, "I'll take care of this." I smiled to myself, Katara was so cool at times like this. She started to run down the street and turned into the alley where they went waving her hand in the air, "Hey strong guys, wait up!"

     "What was I thinking? I don't need a new bag. Why'd you let me buy this?" Sokka drops the bag and folds his arms crossly. Momo, perched on Sokka's shoulder, looks down at the bag. He jumps down into the bag.

     "I liked it too." I crouched down picking up the bag, Momo and all, before handing it up to Sokka, "it's a good look." He took it in his hand, a smile back on his face. Then Katara came running back around the corner grinning from ear to ear.

     "You ready to find an earthbending teacher? Because we're going to Earth Rumble 6!" Katara shouted as I high-fived her as she returned, ginning with her.

     "How did you get them to tell you?" Aang said peering up at us, confused and astonished.

    "Oh," she looks over her shoulder coyly, "a girl has her ways." Before looking at me with a massive grin.

    "Yes, she does." I nodded my head, laughing with her. I could only imagine what the boys had just gone through. If only I could do it myself.

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