9 Chapter 9: Earth Rumble VI

After going back home early after the meal with the Beifongs, I spent my time packing and getting my things ready to go with the Gaang tomorrow after the tournament.

I got the Chen Family tailor to make me another uniform in the same style as my current one and some extra plain green sleeveless shirts. He finished today, and a maid left it in my room.

Then I focused on training for the rest of the day.

This training requires my upmost focus.

It's hardening training.

That sounds wrong, but it's not what you think.

I'm working on hardening the earth that I bend.

I'm trying to make metal. Or at least something as hard as iron, without it actually being metal.

It takes a lot of energy, almost an insane amount. But luckily I have [Super Stamina] and I can handle the stress this move may give me.

Taking a small stone from outside, I hold it in my right hand, getting a feel for the minerals inside the rock.

I squeeze the rock hard, but not enough to crush it into pieces.

I squeeze just enough while carefully bending it.

I can feel it getting smaller and harder.

After doing this process for a while, I open my eyes and look at the result.

The light brown color turned into an off-white and it became much tougher.

It's turned into quartzite.

It worked this time.

I've been trying for around half a year to perfect to ratio of earthbending in order to harden a rock.

All the other times it would turn to sand because I squeezed to hard too quickly, or it turned into a hard but very brittle stone when I squeezed too softly for too long.

Now it has the perfect amount of hardness.

It won't shatter as easily as regular earth.

Maybe if I get coal, I could make diamonds?

Since the tv show never really showed the value of gems I don't really know if it'll be worth anything.

Diamonds are forever, though, so I guess it'll be worth something in this world too.

I know I wouldn't be able to bend diamond as if it was regular rock. To do that would require more training, of which I will have even less time to do once I'm with the Gaang.

I throw the quartzite to the side of my bed and look out the window.

It's almost dark. I get ready to sneak out to meet with Toph.

---------

I meet with Toph in the usual place, outside her wall, and we make our way to the Earth Rumble arena.

We enter the place without much problem, and go our separate ways. Toph going to the champion's room, awaiting her title defense fight, and me going to the audience stands.

Sitting down, I look to my surroundings.

I don't see the Gaang sitting anywhere.

Oh, they've just entered the stands.

I can almost hear Aang wonder out loud why the front seats are empty as a stray boulder is launched and barely misses Sokka.

After whatever launched that boulder finished, Xin Fu appeared from the ground like he did last year, and announces the start to Earth Rumble VI along with the rules to the matches.

The battles that ensued is largely the same as it was in the show.

The Boulder speaks in his usual third person perspective, as if he was some sort of rich ojou-sama from an anime.

The Boulder's first fight is with The Hippo, who almost knocks The Boulder out but then comes back and he just picks up The Hippo with a piece of the floor and easily tosses him out of the ring.

I can hear Sokka get excited for the fight, and see Aang talking with Katara about how The Boulder isn't his teacher.

The Boulder's second fight is with everyone's least favorite contender, Fire Nation Man.

"Please Rise, to Fire Nation National Anthem. FiRe LoRd-"

"""Booooo!"""

"Boo! Go back to the Fire Nation!"

He's interrupted by a rock hitting his head, thrown by Sokka.

Using this chance, The Boulder pulls Fire Nation Man into the ground, bends a large rock pillar beneath himself and jumps off, knees first, sending Fire Nation Man flying out of the ring and landing on the boulder that almost hit Sokka.

"Yeah!! The Boulder knows how to put the hurt in the dirt!

The next few fights don't last as long as the first two.

The Boulder smashes The Gopher with two rocks, then launches The Gecko in the gut with a rock pillar, and slaps Headhunter with a very large earth symbol token.

His final fight is with the defending champion, The Blind Bandit.

"Now for the moment you've all been waiting for. The Boulder versus The Blind Bandit!"

Toph appears from the corner with two ladies besides her, as she holds up the champion's belt she got last year.

"Let's get ready to rumble!!"

I look over to the Gaang and see that Katara looks concerned and Aang interested.

The Boulder steps up and voices his concern about fighting a young 'blind' girl.

Toph taunts him in return, claiming that he's scared to fight.

"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings and is ready to bury you in a rock-alanche!"

"Whenever you're ready, The Pebble! Hahahahahaha!"

Toph continues her taunts and laughs in a condescending tone.

This is the laugh that should remind Aang about his vision.

I look to where he is, and I can see a pondering look.

This is going exactly like in the show, right down to the dialogue.

"It's on!"

The Boulder takes a step towards Toph, ready to ready a move.

Toph takes a relaxed stance and slides her right foot forward as The Boulder starts taking his second step.

Just before he does, Toph kicks the ground and a wave of earth is sent directly underneath The Boulder's left foot.

As The Boulder's heel makes contact with the earth wave, it suddenly turns and causes The Boulder to twist his body and do a leg split.

"OoooOOOOoooHhh!"

Toph then does a quick chopping motion sending a few rock pillars out to launch The Boulder out of the ring and into the wall.

"The winner, and reigning champion, The Blind Bandit!"

Xin Fu comes down from his seat above the arena with a bag of gold pieces in his hands.

"To make things interesting, I offer a bag of gold pieces to anyone who thinks they can take on the defending champion!"

I see Toph stare at my direction, probably thinking I'll take up that offer and give her a real fight.

No, Toph, not this time.

"I will!"

I hear Aang shout as he makes his way up onto the arena.

Toph looks at him in confusion, expecting me to be the only one to have the balls to challenge her.

Toph looks visibly angry and starts to taunt Aang.

"Do people really want to see two little girls fight on stage?"

""""Oooh!""""

That was a pretty harsh roast, now that I think about it.

"I don't want to fight I just want to talk."

""Boo! No talking!""

I say it at the same time as Sokka, except he gets chastised.

Toph immediately bends a rock pillar under Aang's feet, but he just glides off to the right and lands.

Toph looks confused as to why the vibrations coming from Aang are so faint and begins taunting him again.

As soon as Aang touches the ground, Toph launches a few more pillars and Aang easily avoids it once more.

Getting more frustrated as soon as Aang lands again, she sends a large rock speeding towards Aang.

Instead of dodging the rock, Aang uses airbending to knock both the rock and Toph out of the ring.

The whole audience is shocked to see this, including Xin Fu and The Boulder.

Toph gets up and angrily storms out of the arena grounds.

I stand up to follow her out.

"Wait, listen! I'm trying to find an earthbending teacher, and I think it's supposed to be you!"

"Whoever you are, just buzz off!"

I land behind Toph just as she opens up a wall.

"Come on, Lu."

Aang stumbles at my sudden appearance but quickly regains his composure.

"Wait-"

Toph closes the opening in the wall before Aang could finish his sentence.

"Ugh! This is so stupid! How did he even knock me out!? And how come that stupid dancer took the challenge! I wanted to face off against you!"

I shrug my shoulders.

"Sorry, Toph, looks like that eager foreigner wanted to fight and he spoke up faster than me. We can always spar another day."

Toph looks down in agitation.

"...But I wanted to show off how awesome we are in a fight."

Damn, what a cute reason.

"Oh, come on, There's always next year. Who knows, maybe someone other than me can give you a run for your money in the next Earth Rumble?"

"*Sigh* Whatever."

We make our way out of the Earth Rumble arena and I walk with Toph back home.

I console her one more time with a hug, and leave to go to bed.

Tomorrow's the big day.