Toph stood facing a small girl dressed in pink. The girl wore pigtails in her hair and her dress was brand new. The air was crisp, and there was no one around. It was the perfect day for earthbending, and today was Meiling's first day.

"OK, the first thing we're going to do is 'move a rock'," Toph began, pushing a small rock up from the ground. She stepped back and rubbed her hands together.

"OK Meling, I want you to move this rock towards me."

She stepped out of the way. Meiling walked up to the rock and poked it with her pinky.

"Can I do it without touching it?" she asked quietly.

"Without touching it?" Toph repeatedly.

"Uh huh!" the girl said, nodding.

Toph shook her head and walked back up to it.

"Earthbending is about taking things head on!" she said, head-butting the boulder.

The pieces of the rock shattered down on Toph and Meiling and she squealed.

"Icky!"

She covered her head and ran behind a tree. Toph sighed and broke another rock. Meiling squealed again from behind the tree.

"Meiling, you're an earthbender. You're going to have to get used to getting your hands dirty."

"No!" she screamed. "Dirt is gross!"

Toph stomped the ground sending dust into the air. She raised her arms, and it billowed around the courtyard.

"You can't hide from my dust cloud!" she said. She sent a boulder into the air and smashed it into a million pieces, flicking several pebbles at the tree where Meiling hid behind. She yelped.

"Mom! That's not funny!"

She was holding back tears.

"Then come out here and show me you can break a boulder."

Toph moved her arms again and parted the dust. Meiling stepped apprehensively from behind the tree. She stood, legs apart, in the stance her mother had shown her a few days earlier. Toph kicked up a smaller rock and pushed it towards her. Meiling balled her fist and closed her eyes tightly. She punched out, screeching. Her fist hit rock and she could feel it crack. She quickly pulled her hand back and shook it.

"I did it!" she cried, smile wide on her face. "Did you see that? I did it!"

This time, a larger rock flew towards her. She squeezed her eyes shut and made a fist. It crumbled around her. She jumped up and down happily.

"I did it Mom, I did it! I can be an earthbender just like you!"

She threw herself into her mother's arms, still up and trying to bend.

"I told you I'd make you proud of me," she said, whispering into chest.

"Oh Meiling," Toph said, pulling her arms around her. "I was always proud of you."