ANYTHING BUT; avatar the last airbender

chapter 9

[act two; chapter nine     -     marble-made perfection]

    After a startling portrayal of their group in what Lian believes to be the worst play she has ever seen, she finds that the days move quite slow. They wait, of course, for the time to come. For Sozin's Comet to envelop their world. For the day to come when they are expected to lay down their lives if it means finally achieving world peace.

    Lian finds, more often than not, that she holds her breath. Constat anticipation, waiting for it all to go wrong. For every good thing that they have before them to simply just...disappear. For it to be taken away, to crumble like the sand below her feet.

    It is rare, in her life, to watch training rather than be the one doing it. Sure, she has taught and assisted Aang plenty. Even Toph. But it is not often, she finds, that she simply watches.

    Zuko had been helping to teach the Avatar firebending, strengthening his skills and perfecting them. Though, she realizes, that the techniques are filled with other forms of bending, movements akin to airbending, earthbending, and waterbending.

    Aang kicks his legs in wide arcs, followed by quick movements of his arms, fire trailing his every movement. A shadow under the light of the sun.

    "More ferocious!" Zuko tells him, standing with his arms crossed over his chest. "Imagine striking through your opponent's heart."

    Aang stops with a singular punch, groaning as he turns, his arms splayed out on either side of him. "I'm trying."

    "Now let me hear you roar like a tiger-dillo."

    The Avatar turns, arms out and level with the height of his shoulders, fire spewing weakly from his mouth and his hands. He finishes the move with a feeble smile, avoiding Zuko's eyes.

    The firebender shakes his head. "That sounded pathetic. I said, roar!"

    Aang completes the move with absolute efficiency. Perfectly, is what Lian would have said if she were his teacher. And while she was, in many ways, a teacher of Aang's, firebending was not something she understood, if only fundamentally.

    As he turns, finding Zuko's nod of approval, Katara asks, "Who wants a nice, cool glass of watermelon juice?"

    But as Aang moves to get a cup, Zuko grabs ahold of his robes, pulling him back. "Hey, your lesson's not over yet. Get back here!"

    Suki sighs, arms braced in front of her body with a frown. "Come on, Zuko, just take a break. What's the big deal?"

    With a sigh and much apprehension, he lets go of the boy, grumbling, "Fine. If you wanna lounge around like a bunch of snail sloths all day, then go ahead!"