3. Try Learning to walk before running (1/2)

warning this chapter hasn't been beta'd yet.

chapter 3: try learning to walk before running

"are you sure about this?" vidya asked wearily.

it has been well over a year since cheng was first started to teach vidya to earthbend. so far, nothing has happened.

or at least nothing that looked like earthbending.

"mr. long said this is the best for beginners." her father said before lifting a rock with his bending.

vidya got into a stance as she faced cheng, only slightly worried.

"earthbending is all about facing things head on, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike." her dad explained, though vidya has heard this all before.

"now get ready!"

vidya panicked for a moment seeing the bolder flying towage her, but out of everyone in this place, she trust cheng the most. sure he can be a little... eccentric, but vidya knows he would do anything that would harm her. on purpose.

still, vidya closed her eyes as she tried 'punching' the rock. now she knows earthbending was more than just punching things, though at times it did feel like that was all she was doing.

maybe it was the whole idea of magic that was giving her this apparent block. as much as vidya thinks it is cool, there is an apart that still thinks it isn't real. every time she see cheng or another townie left up a rock just with some martial art move, vidya feeling like pinching herself.

"you did it!" cheng yelled, and vidya opened her eyes.

there was dust everywhere... and it hurt!

"i got dust in my eye." vidya told him as she ran out of the cloud with her hands covering her eyes.

"i knew you could do it! long was right about using a dust clump instead of a real rock. seems like i wasn't starting out small enough little one. sorry about that."

"my eyes! i'm going blind!" vidya reminded him, maybe playing it up a bit.

still, as far as everyone else knows, vidya is just a very smart 7 year old.

"right! let's go back and watch you off. i can't wait to tell your mother! now my whole side of the family is earthbenders! and to think li-an was worried because she isn't a bender." cheng rambled as he carried vidya to their little house.

i wonder what was different that time. it felt the same but... vidya shock her head. bending was magic no matter how much katara denied it in the show. instead of saying a word or waving a wand, you use your body.

maybe vidya just was over complicating it.

it wouldn't have been the first time.

cheng ended up leaving a week after vidya first 'earthbend'. the fire navy has been spotted somewhere to the north, and more than half of the village was gone to help the neighboring village. considering that her hometown was not only a port city, but also a mining one next to a fairly big mountain range, vidya could only guess how much the fire nation wanted this village.

vidya tried earthbending by herself, but it has been months and nothing happened. no holes, no moving rocks. the most that would happen was some pebbles flying across the air before gravity pulls them back down. it as annoying since vidya wasn't allowed back in school for being too disruptive and li-an did want her at home for whatever reason. uncle zei came back and gave her a few earthbending scrolls for her eighth birthday, but vidya knows she is nowhere near that level yet.

vidya was getting very frustrated at the whole thing.

"hey look! it's that kid that flunked out of school because she was too dumb!"

vidya turned around and groaned at the sight of a group of kids maybe a few years older than her. physically older. mentally, vidya was putting then at maybe five years old since they are going quite out of their way to bully her from the looks of it.

"can you even talk? maybe she is too stupid to learn how to." a different kid said and vidya just continued practicing.

most cases of bully was either a form of coping or attention. or mob mentality since there was five boys. how many people does there need to be for it to be called a mob anyways?

"hey we're talking to you, you dumb girl!"

"ya, pay attention to us!"

vidya just rolled her eyes.

maybe i should try taking off my shoes and... feeling the ground? like what toph did... or will do?

then all of a sudden, vidya faceplated onto the ground.

"haha! dumb girl didn't even see it coming."

the back of her head hurt and she stood up fast enough to that black dots filled her vision for a moment before disappearing.

"did you throw a rock at me?!" vidya asked glaring at the boys hard enough at at least two of them looked away.

"nah, i earthbend a rock at you. to show you how it is done, stupid!"

"well, maybe i should have a talk with your parents to see what they think of this misuse of earthbending." vidya said crossing her arms as the boys started to whisper to each other.

"my parents are dead!" the boy yelled and vidya did feel bad for him.

"that is even more reason why you should be nice to others. you won't have anyone else to back you up if you act like this." vidya said, almost laughing at the others running away.

she doesn't even know who their parents are.

"i- well- shut up!" the boy yelled as the ground beneath his feet cracked a little.

vidya barely dived out of the way as a rock was sent her direction. the boy was pissed, and yet he was still able to earthbend more than vidya. vidya sampled back as another flew to where she was, before she stood up.

"fine. i'll show you earthbending!" vidya said as she got into the basic stance her father showed her so many times that is was second nature to her now.

vidya closed her eyes as she pushed a fist out will as much power as she could, imagining that she could feel the ki or chakra or whatever energy is needed to bend.

"ahhhhhhh!"

vidya opened her eye with a smile, thinking that she hit the boy. however to her confusing, he looked to be fine. just on his back and a few feet away.

"vidya?"

"dad? you're back!" vidya exclaimed, happy to see he was safe and alive.

she forgot all about the boy as she ran over to him, and cheng picked her up like he always does. cheng looked a little shocked, but gave her a hug.

that was when he noticed the