Balance | Old Version

Chapter 3

Later that afternoon.

Elua's POV.

I was sitting in the snow, watching Sokka as he 'trains' the little boys of the village.
"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender," Sokka begins to say. "In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" He asks as he looks at all the little boys. One of the kids raises his hand, Sokka sighs in annoyance.
"I gotta pee!" The boy whines.
"Listen! Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe. That means, no potty breaks." Sokka tells them.
"But, I really gotta go." The boy says frantically. Sokka sighs, again.

"Okay...who else has to go?" Sokka asks. All of them raise their hands. Sokka slaps his forehead in annoyance. I smile and let out a small laugh as they all walk to the bathroom. I see Katara walk over to Sokka and ask him something.
"Wow, everything freezes in there!" I hear Aang say. I look over and see Aang and the children laughing.
"Ugh! Katara, get him out of here. This lesson is for warriors only." Sokka says.
As Sokka and Katara talk, Aang and the children slid down Appa's tail.
"Stop! Stop it right now!" Sokka orders as he marches over to them.

"What is wrong with you? We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on." Sokka tells Aang, who looks confused.
"What war? What are you talking about?" Aang asks as he slips off Appa.
"You're kidding, right?" Sokka asks. Aang is about to answer but, he sees something behind Sokka and his eyes go wide. I turn around and see a Penguin.
"PENGUIN!" Aang shouts as he takes off chasing the Penguin as it runs off.
"He's kidding right?" Sokka asks Katara. She shrugs, making an 'I don't know' noise and then follows after Aang. I stand up and brush the snow off me before walking over to Sokka.

"...Tell me about the war," I say as I look over to him.
"What is there to tell? It's a war." He says sadly as he looks out at the horizon. I knew the look he had on his face, a look of pain and loss.
"You lost someone to it," I state sadly.
"We all have." He says.
"I suppose so," I say with a small smile as I look out at the shining snow.
"It's very peaceful, seeing as war is going on," I state.
"Yeah..." He says. We stand in silence for a while, but the peacefulness is broke as a huge flare shoots up into the sky.
"Oh no," I whisper in shock as Sokka runs off to warn the village.

Later.

I quickly walk over to Aang and Katara as they get back to the village.
"Yay! Aangs back!" The children shout happily.
"Are you alright?" I ask Aang worriedly, he nods with a smile.
"I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare!" Sokka shouts angrily. "You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?" He asks Aang and I.
"Aang didn't do anything. It was an accident." Katara informs.
"Yeah, we were on the ship and there was this booby trap and well..." Aang starts to say putting his hand to his head.

"...we 'boobied' right into it." He says, finishing his sentence.
"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we could all be in danger!" Their grandmother says upset.
"Don't blame Katara! I brought her there. It's my fault." Aang says sadly.
"Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemies!" Sokka orders. The children walk away from Aang and I, towards Sokka and Gran Gran. "The foreigners are banned from our village!" He shouts as he glares at us.

"Sokka, you're making a mistake," Katara says in sadness and anger.
"No! I'm keeping my promise to Dad. I'm protecting you from threats like them!" Sokka tells her.
"Aang and Elua are not our enemies! Don't you see? They've brought us something we haven't had in a long time. Fun." Katara says with a small smile.
"Fun? We can't fight firebenders with fun!" Sokka tells her angrily.
"You should try it sometime," Aangs says smiling, I nudge his arm.
"Aang, not the time to joke right now," I whisper to him.

"Get out of our village. Now!" Sokka orders.
"Grandmother, please, don't let Sokka do this," Katara begs as she steps in front of us.
"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbenders leave." Gran-Gran says.
"Then I'm banished too!" Katara says. I look at her shocked as she turns around, takes Aang by the shoulder and begins to walk off. "C'mon, Aang, let's go!" She says. They begin to walk over to Appa.
"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka asks her.

"To find a waterbender! Aang is taking me to the North Pole!" Katara shouts. Aang is momentarily confused but, then his face brightens.
"I am? Great!" Aang says happily.
"Aang-" I go to say but, I am interrupted.
"Would you really choose them over your tribe? Your own family?" Sokka asks. We stop walking. Katara pauses, doubt and indecision on her face. I sigh as I gently put my hand on her shoulder.
"Katara, you can't pick Aang over your family," I tell her softly.

"That's not your choice," She tells me, shaking her head.
"It is," I state. "I'm sorry. You should stay here," I tell her, she looks at me sadly. I knew Aang would be sad, but I couldn't let her make a mistake.
"So, you're leaving the South Pole? This is goodbye?" She asks us sorrowfully.
"Thanks for penguin sledding with me," Aangs says with a small smile.
"Where will you go?" She asks.
"Guess we'll go back home and look for the airbenders," I say, though I had a feeling they were gone.

I had the tiniest bit of hope that they were still alive.
"Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that." Aangs says. I look at him confused. When did he figure that out?
"What?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll tell you later." He says, waving me off. Aang and I airbend ourselves onto Appa's head where I take the reigns. Aang turns to the people of the village.
"It was nice meeting everyone," Aangs says kindly.
"Let's see your bison fly now, air boy," Sokka says as he crosses his arms.

"Come on, Appa, you can do it!" Aangs says.
"Yip! Yip!" I say. Appa rumbles and gets onto his feet, but doesn't take off.
"Yeah, I thought so," Sokka says. A little girl with pigtails rushes forward with a cry.
"Aang! Elua! Don't go! We'll miss you!" The little girl says with tears in her eyes
"We'll miss you too," I tell her with a sad smile. "Come on," I say and Appa begins to walk. We start to make our way out of the village and through the snowy white lands of the South Pole.