Balance | Old Version

Chapter 35

Elua's POV.

It was now the middle of the night and we were being led through a dark forest by the men that had ambushed us.
"Jeong Jeong told you not to look for Avatar!" The leader of the gang tells Chey.
"Hold on, you know these guys!?" Sokka asks Chey in surprise.
"Oh yeh! Lin Yi's an old buddy! Right, Lin Yi?" Chey asks with a smile.
"Shut up!" Lin Yi shouts in annoyance. "Keep moving," He orders and we continue walking until we come to a little lean-to shack.

"Go on. He sees you only," Lin Yi tells Chey as we see a small shack at the bottom of the hill we are all standing upon.
"Oh that's okay, we can chat later," Chey tells us as he begins to walk down the hill.
"Is that where Jeong Jeong is? I need to talk to him right away," Aang says as he begins to move forward, but is stopped by a spear across his path.
"No! You wait there," Lin Yi Tells him. "Go now!" He orders Chey.
"Don't worry! Everything'll be fine. He's a great man, great man!" Chey tells us as he walks away from us and we are led into a shack.

Later That Night.

We were all either sitting or laying down on the ground of the shack we had been left in as we wait for Chey to come back. Katara had fallen asleep, but Sokka, Aang and I were still awake. I look up as Chey walks into the hut and sits down in front of Aang.
"What happened? Can I see Jeong Jeong now?" Aang asks quickly.
"He won't see you," Chey states as he looks down sadly. "He's very angry that I brought you here. He wants you to leave immediately," He tells us, Sokka sighs in relief.
"Finally! Let's hit the road," Sokka says happily as he stretches out his arms.

"Why won't he see me?" Aang asks sadly.
"He says you're not ready," Chey states. "Says you haven't mastered waterbending and earthbending yet," He says, I look at him shocked and confused.
"Wait, how does he know that?" I ask in confusion.
"He saw the way you both walk into camp. He can tell," Chey says shrugging.
"I'm going in anyway!" Aang says as he stands up and begins to step out of the shack.
"Aang wait!" I shout softly as I follow him outside, he sighs as he turns to face me.

"Maybe he's right, Aang. I don't think you're ready to learn firebending," I tell him. I knew he didn't want to hear that, but it was the truth.
"But, you learned and you're not a water or earthbending master yet," Aang points out.
"I only learned some of it because my friend showed me some tricks, and he shouldn't have," I tell him truthfully. He shakes his head as he looks away from me.
"I may never find another firebending master, I have to do this Elua," He says as he turns around and continues to make his way to Jeong Jeong's hut.

The Next Morning.

Jeong Jeong had agreed to teach Aang and I, but I had refused. I may already know a few things about firebending, but I wasn't planning on learning anymore until I had mastered the other two elements first. We were all by the water, Katara and I were practicing waterbending, Sokka was fishing, and Jeong Jeong had just come to teach Aang.
"Widen your stance," Jeong Jeong tells Aang as he stands on a rock. "Wider! Bend your knees. Now, concentrate," He orders. "Good, good!" He says as he begins to walk away.

"Wait! What do I do now?" Aang asks.
"Silence! Talking is not concentrating! Look at your friend and sister, are they talking?" Jeong Jeong asks motioning to Katara and I as we both hold water in the air. "Even that oaf knows to concentrate on what he's doing!" He exclaims as he points over to Sokka.
"Hey!" Sokka shouts in offense.
"But, what am I concentrating on?" Aang asks in confusion.

"Feel the heat of the sun. It is the greatest source of fire. Yet, it is in complete balance with nature!" Jeong Jeong tells him.
"So...when do I get to make some fire?" Aang asks smiling.
"Concentrate!" Jeong Jeong tells him as he turns swiftly and walks away. We start to laugh softly, but Aang glares at us and we stop as we all look away from him. Later that day, Jeong Jeong took Aang up a mountain to breathe with no distractions.

I had thought he would know how to just breathe and do nothing else, he knew how to meditate and they both go together. I had been meditating for a couple of hours now and I had decided to go see what the others are up to. When I get to the water, my eyes go wide in shock as I see Aang holding a small flame in his hands.
"I did it! I made fire!" Aang says smiling in pride.
"Aang, that's great, but you should take it slow," Katara tells him as she stands on the shore watching him in worry. Aang's expression turns to one of annoyance at her comment, and the flame instantly gets bigger.

"Careful!" I shout to him. Aang regains control and reduces the flame to its former size, but not before almost falling into the river.
"Now that's firebending!" Aang says grinning as he shoots a scourge of flame and then begins to try and juggle with the fire.
"Aang, you'll hurt yourself!" Katara tells him.
"Wonder how that juggler did it?" Aang wonders to himself, ignoring Katara. He loops the ball around him and it begins to make a complete circle around him as he pushes it outward.

The shockwave of flame engulfs Katara, she raises her hands to protect her face and cries in pain as the flame hits her hands. She crumples to her knees in pain, hands hugged to her tightly. I quickly run over to her and kneel down, I take her hands into mine gently and look down at them. They were now red and inflamed, they look extremely painful.
"Katara! I'm so sorry!" Aang gasps in shock.
"Katara, what's wrong!?" Sokka asks worriedly as he runs over to Katara and I, he looks down and sees her burned hands. "What did you do?" He asks Aang angrily.

"It-it was an accident! I was...Katara, I'm so-" Aang starts to say, but is cut off by Sokka as he grabs Aang and tackles him to the ground just as Aang tries to put a hand on Katara's shoulder.
"I told you we shouldn't mess around with this! Look what you did! You burned my sister!" Sokka shouts in anger. Katara was clearly in pain and doesn't need to be around all this fighting, so I help her get back on her feet and we walk away, Katara still crying in pain. We get to another part of the river and sit down by the water, I take her hands into mine again as I set them in the water.
Katara has a look of pain at first but it quickly vanishes as the water starts to help with the pain.

I look down at the water and see mine and Katara's hands start to glow a light blue, we both gasp in surprise. Katara takes her hands out of the water to reveal that they're fully healed.
"You have healing abilities," We both turn around to see Jeong Jeong behind us. "The great benders of the water tribe sometimes have this ability, but it is unusual for the Nadir to have them. I've always wished I were blessed like you, free from this burning curse," He tells us as he walks over and sits down in front of us
"But you're a great master. You have powers I'll never know," Katara states.

"Water brings healing and life. But fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart," Jeong Jeong says sadly. Before anything else is said, the water in front of us is blasted with gouts of flame. Jeong Jeong quickly stands as he takes a defensive bending stance and breaks the flames before they can wash over us. "Go get your friends and flee! Do not come back here or you will all be destroyed. Hurry!" Jeong Jeong shouts to us as he continues to fight. We nod and quickly make our way back to Aang and Sokka.