The Girl He Won't Remember

Chapter 15

We arrived to the arena just in time. The host's introduction had only just begun when we were searching for seats. In the process, I had to save Aang's life from learning the hard way as to why nobody was sitting in the first row during an earthbending tournament. 

Katara sighed and looked at me. "This is just going to be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other, isn't it?"

"That's what I paid for," Sokka grinned. 

I looked at him, tilting my head. "Sokka, we didn't pay."

He shushed me. "Don't say it out loud!"

According to the host, the tournament had only one rule: Knock the other guy out of the ring. That shouldn't be hard, I had thought, because they're hurling boulders at one another. The first competitors in the ring got into their places. The first, who so creatively named himself 'The Boulder', was an incredibly muscular man and strictly spoke in third person for some odd reason. The other, dubbed 'The Big, Bad Hippo', was a ginormous man with a small patch of hair on his head and grunted instead of actually using words. Part of me believed that this was due to the lack of teeth in his mouth. Another thing I noticed about The Boulder was the fact that he used an abundance of rock-related puns, which I slightly appreciated. 

As their battle began, Katara had already lost what little interest she had, Sokka was overly enthusiastic throughout the ordeal, and Aang watched intensely. I wondered what was happening in his brain. 

The Boulder ended up winning. Maybe he was meant to be Aang's teacher, I thought. Judging by Aang's expression, he didn't agree. Next on the list of opponents was actually a Fire Nation man, believe it or not. As he belted out the Fire Nation anthem to show is loyalty to his country, The Boulder wasted no time in knocking him and his flag out of the ring. The last challenger, the champion, was finally going to make an appearance: The Blind Bandit. 

The Blind Bandit was a little girl who couldn't have been any taller than five feet, and no older than twelve.

"She can't really be blind, can she?" I asked. 

Katara replied, "Maybe it's just part of her character."

The Boulder stepped forward. "The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a small, blind girl," he announced. 

The little girl grinned. "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder!" I already liked this girl.

"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings," he said, flexing to regain his masculinity, "and he's ready to bury you in a rock-alanche!"

The little girl taunt him again, "Whenever you're ready, The Pebble!" She laughed.

The Boulder's agitated growl could be heard from where we sat, and he began his attack. The little girl didn't react. She simply stood there, as if she was waiting for him. Before he took take a second step, The Blind Bandit bent a trail in the earth, sliding his foot away and forcing him into the splits. He howled loudly in pain. The girl then bent three pillars diagonally from the ground, smacking The Boulder out of the ring.

"Who did she do that?" Katara gasped. Everyone in the crowd, except Sokka, was cheering for the reigning champion. 

The host leaped down from where he had been watching and landed next to the little girl. "To make things a little more interesting," he announced, "I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat The Blind Bandit!" Silence. "What? No one dares to face her?"

Suddenly, Aang's cheery voice called out, "I will!" 

As he flew to the ring, Sokka screamed, "Go Aang! Avenge The Boulder!"