Avatar the Rise of Darkness. Book one: Shadows

Chapter 3: Melodies of the Earth

Yan couldn't see anything.
Master Sho had him put on a blindfold for his training, "The best earthbenders know how to listen to the earth," he said.

Yan was listening feeling the vibrations. He felt as Sho pushed a pillar of rock into him and he used airbending to jump out of the way... right into another pillar that had just sprung up.

"You need to stop using your airbending for defense," Sho said, "It should be used for retreating, evading attacks you have no chance of withstanding, not for stopping yourself from being hit by an attack you can just as easily push out of the way, or turn against your opponent."

"Why shouldn't I use airbending?" Yan asked, "I'm good at it, aren't I?."

"You're detached from the world around you, it aids your airbending, but it hinders your earthbending just as much, " Sho said, raising two new pillars of earth, "You are also as stubborn, defiant, and patient as the earth itself. If you used that you could become a great earthbender."
He launched the pillars at Yan. Yan dodged one but knocked into the other, falling over.
Sho sighed, "Unfortunately you don't."

Yan got back up. "Maybe I'd learn better if you stopped throwing rocks at me," he said, trying to catch his breath.

Sho paused for a second before responding, "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right." Yan was surprised. "I have sworn to protect the avatar," Sho continued, "And if the Red Lotus has really returned then it is important for you to master the elements as fast as possible. As such if you refuse to learn from this method of teaching, I could try something different."

Yan took his blindfold off. "What?" he laughed, "A great earthbending master changing their teaching style? That's unheard of!" 

"Even the toughest rock can be broken under enough pressure." Sho responded, "This skill is traditionally used to enhance ones natural connection to the world around them and temporarily enhance earthebnding. It is normally taught after a student has learned how to feel vibrations through the earth, but seeing as you are incapable of doing that without resorting to airbending, it could be used to introduce you to the basic concepts of seismic sense. Sit down."

"Are we going to meditate?" asked Yan, "This seems more like airbending then earthbending."

"This does look like meditation but it is as much its opposite as earth is opposite to air," Sho said, "Instead of tuning everything out, take everything in, focus, stay grounded. Tell me what you can see."

Yan sat down. He looked around at the training room, the rocky floor was covered in smashed bits of stone. The architecture in the room resembled that of the air temples, only repainted in the white lotus's colors. Jian was standing by the entrance, spinning his sword around in boredom.

"I see the training room, and Jian being an idiot," he said, shrugging.

Master Sho rolled his eyes, "Beyond that, focus on the details, every crack in the stone, every pattern in the wood, every tiny bug crawling along the floor. Everything has meaning, everything comes from something. If you can pay attention to the world around you than it will enable you to see so much more," he said, "Focus on not only what things are but also what they mean, why they are there, what they are going to do."

Yan breathed, he looked around once more, focusing on every little detail he could see, allowing himself to flow into a state of hyper concentration. "There's a trail of ants coming from a crack in that wall, probably coming from the kitchens, . I see the hundred-year-old walls, designed in the traditional architectural style of the air nomads, from when this island used to be Air Temple Island. I see the burns on my arms, from where the firebender singed me yesterday. And," Yan laughed, "I see Jian twirling his sword around, like an idiot."

"Y'know it's a lot less funny the second time," Jian said. Sho and Yan ignored him. 

Sho looked at Yan, "Now close your eyes," he said, "Focus on what you can't see."

Yan closed his eyes and placed his hands on the ground beside him. He felt the ground beneath his hands. He heard the slow breathing of Master Sho in front of him. He felt the chill of the winter air. And, although he couldn't see anything, in this state of hyper-focus, he could almost feel the vibrations of objects through the earth.

Then he felt something vibrate as a section of earth behind him shifted into a pillar. He felt the pillar ram towards him. Yan, still closing his eyes, jumped up and reached punched the pillar, shattering it to sand.

"Very good," Sho said, he looked at a clock hanging from the wall. "Unfortunately, I have an urgent meeting to attend to, so we will have to stop ."

"So I guess you're going to have Jian escort me to firebending practice now?" Yan asked.

"Actually, no," Sho said, "The rest of the high ranking white lotus members are attending the meeting as well, so Master Azara won't be able to teach you today."

Yan resisted the urge to celebrate. "All this extra security, a meeting with every high ranking lotus, a personal bodyguard," Yan said, "This seems like a lot for a single firebender."

"It wasn't just that firebender," Sho said, "The new Air Nation and the white lotus have been noticing an increase in red lotus activity for the past few years, they've been a nucince but not too dangerous, mostly just vandalism, although there have been a few assassination attempts and a single kidnaping. Normally they stay in the outskirts of the United Earth Federation but recently, they've been getting bolder, we've had multiple arests of red lotus members in the United Republic this year, and now one of them was brave enough to attack the avatar," he shook his head, "Something is making them think they have power, and whatever it is you need to be ready for it."

Sho walked out of the room, leaving Yan and Jian sitting there, contemplating what the grand lotus had said.

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I know I said it would be a week but some things came up. Sorry.