Balance | Old Version

Chapter 5 (The Southern Air Temple)

Later that night.

Elua's POV.

We had been flying for a couple of hours now, the sun had set and it was dark out. I look up at the starry sky as I still sit on the front of the saddle.
"You've been sitting there for a while, you okay?" I hear Sokka asks me, making me jump. I turn around and see him look at me concerned.
"You scared me," I tell him as he moves to sit beside me.
"Sorry," He says with a sheepish smile. I sigh as I look back at the sky.
"What are you thinking about?" He asks me.
"I'm worried about Aang," I answer.

"Why?" He questions. I turn to face him.
"Well, for one: He's my brother and I always worry about him," I state. "But, mostly because we've been gone for a hundred years. Everyone is probably gone. I don't want him blaming himself if the Fire Nation really killed them all," I say sadly as I begin to imagine the fear they must have felt. Sokka looks at me with a sad expression, I smile sadly as I look back up. We sit in silence for a few moments, it felt so peaceful.
"It was our mother," Sokka suddenly says. I look over to him confused.

"You said I lost someone to the war, you were right. Katara and I lost our mom." He tells me with a pained look.
"I'm sorry," I say as I place my hand on his in a comforting way.
"I don't know what I've lost, not yet," I say sadly as I remove my hand from his. After a little while, we find a place to land and let Appa rest.
"We should make camp," Sokka says. I nod. After we've set up camp Aang starts a fire, and everyone goes to sleep, and I finally get some rest.

The Next Morning.

Elua's POV.

Katara is sitting on Appa doing something that I can't see, and Aang is talking to her.
"Wait 'til you see it, Katara. The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world." Aang says as he adjusts Appa's reins.
"Aang, I know you're excited, but it's been a hundred years since you've been home," Katara says cautiously, Aang smiles at her.
"That's why I'm so excited!" Aangs exclaims.
"It's just that a lot can change in all that time," Katara tells him.
"I know, but I need to see it for myself," Aangs says.

He floats down from Appa's back and walks over to Sokka, who is snoring peacefully in his sleeping bag on the ground.
"Wake up, Sokka! Air Temple, here we come!" Aang says. Sokka opens his eyes sleepily, making groggy noises.
"Sleep now...temple later..." He says before rolling over and going back to sleep. I look around and find a stick, I pick up the stick and motion for Aang to quiet as I walk over to Sokka.
"Sokka! Wake up!" I say in fake panic as I begin to run the stick-up and down Sokka's sleeping bag. "There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" I shout. He jumps awake.
"Aaahhh! Get it off! Get it off! Aaahhh!" Sokka yells as he hops around in his sleeping bag until he loses his balance and falls flat on his face. We all laugh at his very irritated look.

"Great! You're awake. Let's go!"

Later.

We are now on Appa heading to the Air temple. I look over to Sokka and see him searching through a bag look for something. His stomach growls.
"Hey, stomach, be quiet, all right? I'm trying to find some food." Sokka says to his stomach. He searches the food bag and dumps it out onto his glove. Only a few crumbs fall out.
"Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?" Sokka asks annoyed.
"Oh, that was food? Aang used it to start the campfire last night." I tell him "Sorry." Aang says.
"You WHAT?" Sokka shouts in shock.

"Awww, no wonder the flames smelled so good," He says sadly as he seems to imagine the fire from last night. I look back over to the horizon as Appa flies towards the now much closer mountains.
"The Batola mountain range! We're almost there!" Aang says excitedly.
"Aang? Before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders." Katara says uneasily.
"What about 'em?" Aang asks.
"Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother and they could have done the same to your people." Katara explains.

"Just because no one has seen an Airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped." Aang says. I look down sadly, he was most likely wrong.
"I know it's hard to accept." Katara states.
"You don't understand, Katara. The only way to get to an Airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison. Right, Appa?" Aang asks Appa as he looks down at his furry friend.
"Aang, a lot could have happened in the 100 years we were gone," I tell him, trying to get him to understand.

"Elua, they would have escaped," Aang says. I sigh.
"Yip yip!" Aang exclaims and Appa flies up higher, turning tightly around a mountain. Katara and Sokka are straining against the wind sheer the faster we move. Appa flies up and over a rocky outcropping and treetops to reveal the tall rooftops of the Southern Air Temple.
"There it is...the Southern Air Temple," Aang says smiling.
"Aang, it's amazing!" Katara states as she smiles too.
"We're home, you guys. Elua, we're home.." Aang says to Appa and I. I smile as I look at my home, it felt like I was here just yesterday. We land and jump off Appa.

"So where do I get something to eat?" Sokka asks with a cross look on his face.
"You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an airbender temple and all you can think about is food?" Katara asks him.
"I'm just a simple guy with simple needs," Sokka says.
"So that's where my friends and I would play airball!" Aangs says gesturing to a small parapet cut into the rock below the path we walk on. It is populated with sticks of varying heights that have been stuck in the ground. A goal with a backboard obtains either end of the field.
"And...over there would be where the bison would sleep...and..." Aang trails off as he sighs sadly.

"What's wrong?" Katara asks.
"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds." Aangs says sadly as he looks down at all the dead land.
"He's right. I can't believe how much things have changed," I say sadly as my gaze wanders from place to place.
"So, uh, this airball game? How do you play?" Sokka asks with a smile as he walks over. Aang smiles as he begins to explain.

Third Person POV.

Sokka stands with a backboard behind him, looking ready for action. Aang is on the opposite backboard behind him as he bends air around a swiftly spinning ball to keep it floating above his outstretched right hand. Suddenly, he throws it up in the air over his head. Sokka follows it with his eyes. Aang puts his hands behind his back, closes his eyes and smiles, waiting for the ball to come back down. He opens one eye and bends the air at the exact moment to send the ball bouncing through the field of poles, it bounces off each one.

The ball hits Sokka in the stomach and he is launched backward through a rotating door in the backboard behind him. He falls in a pile of snow.
"Hahaha! Aang seven, Sokka zero!" Aang cheers. Elua laughs as she watches her brother in happiness.
"My turn!" She shouts as she airbends herself up to where Sokka was.
"Making them feel better is putting me in a world of hurt," Sokka whines. As he stands up he sees something and stares in shock, a Fire Nation helmet. Sokka crawls over to it and then turns to his sister.

"Katara, check this out." He says. She walks over to him and looks down with anger.
"Fire Nation," Katara says glaring at the helmet.
"We should tell them," Sokka states.
"Aang, Elua, there's something you need to see," Katara shouts to them.
"Okay!" Aang says as they airbend off the posts they stand on. Katara looks back and forth between the helmet and the happy boy rapidly approaching, unsure whether to show him the dreadful discovery. She quickly waterbends the snow on the nearby bank down onto both the helmet and Sokka, right as they two people walk over.
"What is it?" Elua asks her kindly.

"Uh...just a new waterbending move I learned." Katara lies. Elua doesn't look convinced but, she stays silent and doesn't question her.
"Nice one. But, enough practising. We have a whole temple to see!" Aangs says as he walks forward, Elua lingers for a moment but then quickly follows her little brother. Sokka stands and wipes the snow off his shoulders and head.
"You know, you can't protect them forever," Sokka tells his sister. "Elua seems to already know," He says as they follow them towards the temple, Katara looks back sadly but continues to walk.