Balance | Old Version

Chapter 32

Elua's POV.

I get back to where Bato had been staying, right as Aang did too. We both open the door and walk into the room, where the three are talking with one another.
"Hey everyone! Sorry, I was gone so long," Aang says, looking much happier then he was.
"Hey Aang, I didn't notice you left," Katara says. Wow, how kind of you.
"Yup, but now I'm back," Aang says smiling. "Sure...could go for some delicious sea prunes!" He says as he sits down, grabs a bowl and begins to eat. After a few seconds, he spits them back out. We all look at him strangely. What is going on with him?

The Next Day.

We all walk along the beach and over to Bato's boat.
"This ship is sentimental to me. It was built by my father," Bato tells us as he places a hand on it.
"Is this the boat he took you ice-dodging in?" Sokka asks.
"Yeah, it's got the scar to prove it," Bato states. "Huh. How about you, Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first time ice-dodging?" He asks him with a smile, Sokka frowns.

"He never got to go. Dad left before he was old enough," Katara reminds him.
"Oh, I forgot, you were too young," Bato says sadly.
"What's ice-dodging?" Aang asks them in curiosity.
"It's a rite of passage for young water tribe members. When you turn fourteen your Dad takes you out on the waters and you, well...dodge ice," I tell him, everyone looks at me surprised.
"What?" I ask them. "I'm not completely uncultured," I state.

"How do you know that?" Bato asks me in shock.
"I spent some time in the Southern and Northern Water Tribes," I tell him smiling. "I even went Ice-dodging with my waterbending teacher, Kaito," I explain, I smile as I remember my old friends from around the world. Sokka and Katara look at me astounded.
"You never told us that!" Katara says with a smile.
"You never asked," I tell her as I shrug my shoulders.
"Well, Sokka. I'm gonna take you Ice-dodging," Bato tells Sokka, who smilings widely.

A Little Later.

We were all in Bato's boat, now sailing along the water.
"Ice-dodging is a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery, and trust," Bato says as he steers the boat through the water. "In our village, it was done by weaving a boat through a field of icebergs," He tells Aang, Sokka frowns.
"How are we supposed to ice-dodge without ice?" Sokka asks Bato.
"You will be dodging...those," Bato says pointing to a bunch of stalagmite-related rocks.
"Sokka, you steer and call the shots. Lead wisely," Bato says as he steps away from the stick as Sokka takes control. "Katara, you secure the mainsail. The winds can be brutal, so be brave," He tells her as she grabs the ropes.

"Aang, you control the jib, without your steady hand, we all go down. Your position is about trust," Bato tells Aang, who looks timid.
"I know that! Why wouldn't I know that? I'm the Avatar! I know about trust," Aang says nervously. I frown at his attitude, he had been acting strange since last night. What is wrong with him? Bato walks over to the nose of the ship and sits down.
"For this to be done right, I cannot help. You pass or fail on your own," Bato tells Sokka.

"What will Elua do?" Katara asks, everyone looks over to me.
"I will be standing right here," I say as I point to where I stand beside Bato. "Watching you guys and hoping Sokka is good at this," I tell her, with a smile.
"But, don't you want to do something?" She asks me with a frown.
"Nope, last time I did this..." I trail off as I think of what happened so many years ago.

Flashback.

Third Person POV.

Elua stands on a small boat in the icy waters of the South Pole wearing a coat in the colors of the Air Nomads. She looks over to a man who is steering the boat.
"You know what you're doing...right?" Elua asks him nervously, he laughs.
"I know what I'm doing, stop worrying," He tells her. "I'm 17, don't you think you should have more trust in me?" He asks with a grin.
"Your age has nothing to do with my trust in you, Kaito," Elua states. The teen, Kaito, laughs.
"Fair enough," Kaito says as he looks out at the water as they near a bunch of ice.