Infected

26 - Calm Before the Storm

Days passed after Philza and Tommy had tried once again to reach Avatar Korra, but what happened has stayed unspoken between them, Phil doesn't even know the full story from Tommy. He refused to talk about it, and stayed distant from the others, especially Ranboo. He knew something they didn't.

It was the middle of the night when Tommy woke to Ranboo writing in a book over the desk in the room they were sharing.

"Ranboo, what are you doing?" He sat up to look at him. Tommy froze as the firebender turned to him, his eyes glazed over with white. It felt like hours before Ranboo finally moved from the desk, and out of the room. There was no response from Ranboo, but it hadn't seemed like he was sleepwalking, this felt more eerie. Tommy didn't go back to sleep that night, after a while he went out on the balcony and watched as the moon dipped below the mountains. He sighed, feeling the sun's warmth as it rose from the east. Tommy liked this, the silence, all expectations seemed to be gone from his life.

"There you are," Carter said, poking his head through the doorway, "Technoblade is looking for you, he has an idea for your training."

Tommy groaned, more training, most likely more firebending forms that would do nothing for him. He got up and went to find Techno. He eventually was directed to where Techno was sitting by the river that ran at the bottom of the gorge. "Did you change your mind or something? Or do you plan to make me firebend by drenching me in the river?"

"I decided that we shouldn't focus on firebending anymore," He said, "We're here to work on your waterbending training."

"Not that I'm against doing that, but why the sudden change." Tommy asked.

"I talked to Phil about your brother," Techno said, Tommy's eyes went wide, how much had Phil told him? "I believe the block in your fire chakra stems from him and whatever else you've gone through while with him. The water chakra is blocked by guilt but if we can unblock that one it will make unblocking your firebending easier."

"How do I do that?" Tommy said.

"By helping yourself accept what has happened to you, your feelings are real, they're what make you human," Techno began, "You're allowed to mess up, to make mistakes, to just be yourself."

"Phil told you to say that, didn't he," Tommy smiled.

"Maybe," Techno turned towards the river, "But pay attention to what I do, I'll teach you the basic motions." He moved his hands back and forth above the water, creating waves that grew larger the longer he did it. Tommy copied him, trying to keep in mind that he didn't have to get it perfect right away, that no one here expected him to know everything right away. He was allowed to have fun during training. He smirked as he saw the water start to move at his command. Using the same motion he turned towards Techno, creating a wave and sending it at the Chief, splashing his legs.

"You're a child," He raised up a huge wave and drenched Tommy.

"Hey!" He used his momentum to pull the water back, pushing and pulling it until it grew taller than them. Tommy released it, hoping to get back at Techno, but he moved his hands to guide the water to either side of him instead. Technoblade was completely dry.

"Teach me how to do that," He grinned. Tommy put his hands up as Techno raised up another wave of water. He put his hands out, planting himself, trying to copy Techno as the wave came crashing down. He spat out water, shaking his head to try and clear his eyes. "What was that?!"

"I needed to see how you would naturally react, and predictably you did what any earthbender would," Techno said, but there was hope for him. "You did probending training, right? React how you would in a match instead. Go with the water, not against it." He sent another wave at him, this time Tommy changed to the fighting stance he would use while probending and spun the water around him, it splashed behind him. He had still gotten wet, but he had managed to move some of the water away from him.

"You have the knowledge, you just need to adapt it to waterbending," He created a ball of water and started moving it in circles in the air. "Catch this like you would a rock then move it back to me, but don't let it stop." Tommy listened, managing to bend the water as Techno released his control of the water, passing it in circles between them. "Water requires the amount of control that you use for earthbending, but if you fight the tides you'll get nowhere. With waterbendering you have guide it around you, you can't face it head on, go with the flow and accept the change in motion."

"Just like my life," Tommy said, "That's what you're getting at, that I need to accept what's happening and use it to my advantage instead of fighting against it. Wilbur once told me something like that but about words and that words speak louder than actions."

"He's right, you just need to know how to use them properly. And when."

"I guess that is something I could work on," Tommy said, "I should talk to Ranboo, soon."
"You can do that later, we have work to do. I know something that can help you with those spirit vines in Republic City."

They spent the entire day training as Phil and Ranboo busied themselves with whatever Carter could give them to do. Much to his protest.

"You didn't have to do all this," Carter said as Phil finished organizing his living and dining room. "I could have done it myself with no problem."

"Nonsense," Phil said, "You've been so kind to let us in your home. It was the least we could do to repay the favor."

"But maybe tell me when you decide to clean my house," Carter's eye twitched a bit, "There may not be a method to my madness, but I like knowing where everything is."

"Aw, don't worry mate, we won't be here for much longer," Phil chuckled, patting him on the back. "How's it going over there, Ranboo?"

"I made food," He came out with a steaming bowl of, Phil couldn't tell what it was, and placed it on the table. "I tried imitating the Water Tribe's seal soup, but so Phil could eat it."

"Hm," Carter took a spoonful of the soup, "Wait this is actually good, it reminds me of where I'm from. I had this one friend, she was cool, she had me try all sorts of things. I wasn't much of a baker like her though."

"Er," Phil poked at the soup, unsure of how edible it was, having heard stories of Ranboo's unusual cooking from Techno. "Think I'll just make something else."

"More for me," Carter said eagerly, "But this doesn't change that you put all my stuff in weird places."

"It's called cleaning," Phil sighed, shaking his head with a smile.

"Still prefer my version of it," Carter said.

"Your version of cleaning involves putting the books on the ceiling," Ranboo called, "How do you even get them to stay up there?"

"I have my ways."

"You're crazy, mate." Phil chuckled.

"I know." Carter smiled.

"Ever think you're a bit too chaotic," Ranboo said.

"Nope, chaos is my whole thing." Carter said.

What's this, an update? I'm actually alive? Good news! I have the next few chapters fully written and ready to be published. They will be spread out though to give me a break from writing to focus on school.

Thank you all for reading! Please vote and comment I like reading and responding to them. Peace out benders and Minecrafters from around the world!