Balance | Old Version

Chapter 21 (Winter Solstice, Part 2)

Elua's POV.

Aang pulls on Appa's reigns, trying to get him to stand up so we could get going. It was very early, the sun hadn't risen yet but we had to go so we could get to the Fire Nation island.
"Let's go Appa! Come on, boy!" Aang yells, but Appa roars as a way of saying 'No!'. "Look, I'm sorry, but Katara and Sokka aren't coming to the Fire Nation with us," He tells him sadly.
"If they got hurt, We'd never forgive ourselves," I tell Appa as I gently pat his head.
"So get your big butt off the ground and let's go!" Aang shouts in annoyance.

"I think his big butt is trying to tell you something," Sokka says as he, Katara, and some of the villagers stand behind Appa.
"Please don't go, Aang. The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation," Katara says. "Neither can I." She adds with a look of sadness.
"But, I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means. I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the Solstice," Aang tells them "That's today." He states.

We jump up onto Appa's back, Aang looks back hesitatingly at Sokka and Katara. Aang pulls on the reigns and Appa begins to move, but Sokka and Katara jump in front of Appa and stop him from moving.
"We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation," Katara says, we look at her a little shocked.
"At least not without your friends. We got your back." Sokka says with a smirk as Momo jumps up onto Aang's arm, chittering happily.

"EW!" Sokka shouts in disgust as Appa licks him lovingly.
"It's a long journey to the Crescent Island. You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown," The Chief tells us as he hands me a bug full of things. "Good luck." He says.
"Thank you, for your-" Aang starts to say but is cut off.
"Go!" The Chief orders, we nod as Aang pulls on the reigns and we take off.

Later That Day.

"Come on, boy! We've got a long way to go! Faster!" Aang says to Appa as we fly through the bright blue sky, Appa roars as he begins to move faster. I sigh as I look down at the water, I frown as I see something I wish we had left behind a while ago. Zuko's ship.
"Aang, we got trouble," I say. Everyone follows my gaze and their eyes go wide.
"Yeah, and it's gaining fast!" Sokka shouts. Suddenly, they begin to shoot a fireball at us.

"Fireball!" Katara shouts in warning.
"I'm on it!" Aang says as he pulls hard on Appa's reins. Appa swerves just in time and the fireball sails over his head, narrowly missing us.
"We have to get out of Zuko's range before he shoots another hot stinker at us!" Katara yells.
"Can't you make Appa go any faster?" Sokka asks.
"Yeah, but there's just one little problem," Aang says pointing to a bunch of ships ahead of us.

"If we fly north we can go around the Fire Nation ships and avoid the blockade," I tell everyone, they seem unsure. "It's the only way," I state.
"There's no time," Katara tells me, I sigh, she was right.
"This is exactly why I didn't want you to come. It's too dangerous." Aang tells Sokka and Katara.
"And that's exactly why we're here," Katara tells him.
"Let's run this blockade," Sokka says smiling, Aang looks over to me, I nod.

"Appa! Yip! Yip!" Aang shouts. Several fireballs start flying at us. Appa swerves, ducks and dives to avoid the fireballs but sadly one of them grazes Appa's back, making him growl in anger and pain.
"Appa! Are you ok?" Aang asks worriedly, Appa growls in response. Each ship launches multiple fireballs into the air. Aang tries to help Appa avoid the fireball bombardment. In front of us, fireballs shoot through the clouds, smoke loitering behind them. Appa swerves to miss one on his left, but suddenly a fireball bursts in front of us.

We all scream in fear as Appa swerves, two fireballs collide and explode directly in front of Appa, making him growl and rears up to avoid the combustion. He bucks and Sokka is thrown from his back. Katara shrieks and reaches out for her bother, but Sokka begins to fall and disappears into the clouds below.
"Sokka!" We all shout in fear, I stand up with my glider.
"I'll get Sokka, keep going!" I shout to Aang as I dive off Appa and through the clouds.

I quickly dive after Sokka as he flails his arms and screams as he falls, I stretch out my hand to him.
"Elua!" He shouts as he reaches for my hand, right before we both hit the water I grab his hand. He wraps his arms around my waist as I open my glider and begin to fly upward.
"I don't like this!" He shouts as he holds onto me tightly and looks down at the water that's about 50 feet below us.
"You'll be fine!" I shout over the wind, I come out of clouds and begin to glide easier.
"Woah," Sokka says as he begins to smile. "Okay that...was pretty awesome," He says as we land back on Appa, Katara sighs in relief.

"Sokka!" Katara shouts as she hugs him. A single fireball is shot at Appa, Aang leaps from Appa. He takes an airbending pose, he kicks a burst of air directly into the center of the oncoming fireball. The fireball explodes from the inside out as a result of Aang's Attack. The pieces form an aura of smoke and debris around Appa, he flies through the center of the aura. Aang loses his balance amidst the flying rubble and is thrown back onto Appa's shoulders. Sokka and I grab his arms to steady him as we fly through the Fire Nation blockade.
"We made it!!!" Aang shouts smiling as he raises his left fist into the air.

"We got into the Fire Nation...Great." Sokka says as his shoulders slump. Appa flies through Fire Nation for a few more hours, his tail begins to droop and his legs loosen as he gets more and more tired. Everyone lays on Appa, changing positions over and over again.
"There it is!" Aang suddenly shouts. We all sit up. "The island Roku's dragon took Elua and I too!" He says pointing to a crescent-shaped island as it comes into view through the clouds. In the center of the crescent is a large, active volcano, fire and steam flow out of its core.

Appa flies towards the island, the temple sits on a foreland directly below the volcano. Appa lands near the temple. Aang pats Appa's face lovingly.
"You did it, buddy. Nice flying." Aang tells Appa. Appa groans and rolls onto his side in absolute exhaustion. Katara walks towards Appa and begins to rub his belly.
"Oh! You must be tired!" Katara coos.
"No. I'm good. Refreshed and ready to fight some firebenders." Sokka says as he stretches, thinking that Katara is talking to him. Katara frowns as she turns to him.

"I was talking to Appa," Katara tells him, Sokka stands up straight.
"Well, I was talking to...Momo." Sokka says pointing to Momo, who is hanging upside down on a tree. We start to walk up a steep path leading to the Fire Temple, we continuously look to our left and right in awareness of an attack that could happen at any moment.
"I don't see any guards," Sokka says as we look around.
"The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died." Katara states.

"It's almost sundown. We'd better hurry." I tell them we leap over a low wall and begin to tip-toeing through the center of the temple.
"Wait...I think I heard something." Sokka says as we stop walking and turn around to see 5 elderly men in red robes staring at us.
"We are the Fire Sages. Guardians of the temple of the Avatar." One of them says.
"Great! I am the Avatar." Aang says stepping forward.
"We know." They say as they take a firebending stance and throw fire at us.