Balance | Old Version

Chapter 44

Elua's POV.

I wake up with a gasp, I try to move but soon I realize that I'm tied up with rope. I look around and see we're in a cave, I frown in confusion as I look over to the entrance of the cave and see that there was a raging snowstorm outside.
"Welcome back," Zuko says, I quickly turn my head see him sitting a little ways from me.
"Good to be back," Aang says as he glares up at the banished Prince. I look over to him, we seemed to have the same thing in mind.

We blow a gust of wind at Zuko, making him hit the wall behind him while also launching ourselves out of the cave and into the snow. Aang tries to get away, moving like a caterpillar, but Zuko grabs him before he can get far.
"That won't be enough to escape," Zuko says as he glares at him.
"Let him go!" I shout as I try to get out of the ropes, but it was useless. Suddenly, Appa flies down from the sky. "Appa!" I shout with a smile as he lands behind us and Katara jumps off him.
"Here for a rematch?" Zuko asks confidently as he takes a firebending stance.

"Trust me, Zuko, it's not going to be much of a match," Katara says as she glares angrily at him. Zuko glares back and sends a fireball at her, but she easily blocks it. She sends a shockwave of ice racing towards Zuko and when it reaches him, she encases him in a column of ice then drops it and Zuko falls to the ground unconscious. Sokka jumps off Appa and runs over to Aang and, he quickly unties me, then goes over to untie Aang.
"Hey! This is some quality rope!" Sokka says as he looks down at the rope in his hand.

"We need to get to the oasis! The spirits are in trouble!" Aang says as he quickly unties his feet and they all jump on Appa, but I walk over to Zuko and make sure he's still alive.
"Elua! Get away from him!" Sokka shouts as he jumps off Appa and grabs my hand, pulling me away from him before I can help.
"We can't just leave him here, he'll die!" I say as Sokka tries to drag me over to Appa.
"Exactly!" Sokka says, making me rip my wrist out of his grasp.

"No matter what anyone has done, good or bad, I will never leave them to die!" I shout as I turn away from him and walk back over to the banished Prince. I hear Sokka sigh, then he walks over to me and helps get Zuko onto Appa. Once everyone is on, we take off. As we fly through the night sky, the moon suddenly turns red. Yue places her hands to her head and groans in pain.
"Are you okay?" Sokka asks her in worry.
"I feel faint," Yue says.
"I feel it too," Aang states. I look up at the moon as I was also feeling weak, I felt almost...trapped.

"The Moon Spirit is in trouble," I tell the others as I take a deep breath and stay calm.
"You okay, Elua?" Katara asks me in worry, I look over to and I nod, but she still seems worried.
"I owe the Moon Spirit my life," Yue states.
"What do you mean?" Sokka asks in confusion.
"When I was born I was very sick and very weak. Most babies cry when they're born, but I was born as if I were asleep. My eyes closed," Yue begins to tell us. "Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and father I was going to die. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me. That night, beneath the full moon, he brought me to the oasis and placed me in the pond," She states.

"My dark hair turned white, I opened my eyes and began to cry and they knew I would live," Yue explains. "That's why my mother named me Yue, for the moon," She tells us. As we get to the Oasis, we see many Fire Nation soldiers standing around the pond. We quickly jump off Appa and take fighting stances as we see Zhao holding a bag, with the moon spirit struggling inside of it.
"Don't bother!" Zhao shouts to us as he holds his fist to the bag, threating to kill the spirit. Aang and I drop our bending stances and hold our hands up in surrender.
"Zhao! Don't!" Aang shouts in panic.
"It's my destiny...to destroy the Moon...and the Water Tribe," Zhao says as he glares.

"Destroying the moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone, including you," I tell him, but he doesn't seem to believe me. "Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world," I say as I begin to become very nervous.
"She is right, Zhao!" I hear Iroh shout, we all turn to him in shock.
"General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?" Zhao asks as he glares.
"I'm no traitor, Zhao, the Fire Nation needs the moon too. We all depend on the balance," Iroh tells him, but Zhao doesn't back down. "Whatever you do to that spirit I'll unleash on you ten-fold! LET IT GO, NOW!" Iroh yells in anger as he gets ready to attack.

Zhao falters, and he begins to lower the bag. He kneels down in front f the pond and releases the fish back into the water. The red light of the moon vanishes and is replaced by its normal color, I sigh in relief. But my relief quickly changes into shock as Zhao, with a cry of fury, sends a blast of fire into the water, hitting the spirit. I cry out in pain as Zhao kills the spirit, it was as if I could feel what the spirit was feeling. My whole body erupts into pain, a burning feeling traveling up and down my arms and stomach. Iroh fires blast after blast at Zhao, but he blocks the blast and backs away while Iroh expertly takes down Zhao's guards and then, he flees.

Iroh stands over the pond where the blackfish swims frantically and the white one, a burn mark was on the side of the white one as it floats in the water. Iroh gently lifts the white fish from the water, an expression of sadness on his face. I take a deep breath as I watch in sadness, I try to ignore the pain and weakness I was feeling, but my legs give way and I begin to fall.
"Elua!" I hear Sokka shout as he catches me before I fall and slowly lowers to the ground.
"What's wrong with her?" Katara asks no one in particular as she kneels beside me looking for any injuries, only yo find nothing.

"The Nadir is connected to all spirits, especially the ones that keep the balance to our world," Iroh explains. "If one is killed it will injure the Nadir, she's dying," He says sadly. They look at him shocked as their eyes begin to water from this information. Sokka looks at me with pain and sadness, a strange look of realization in his eyes.
"There's no hope now. It's over," Yue says hopelessly.
"No, it's not over," Aang says, his voice deep and mysterious. He walks into the pond and stands in the middle of it. After a few moments, he falls into it and all the water surrounding the Oasis begins to glow a brilliant blue.

A giant fish like water spirit slowly begins to rise from the water, Aang at the center of it. We all watch as the giant bluefish walks into the sitting, but everyone soon turns back to me, the worry and sadness ever so present in their eyes.
"There has to be something we can do to save her," Sokka says frantically, still holding me.
"It's too late. The spirit is dead," Katara says looking at the dead fish in the water sorrowfully.
"You have been touched by the Moon Spirit. Some of its life is in you!" Iroh says to Yue in realization.
"Yes, you're right. It gave me life," Yue states. "Maybe I can give it back," Yue says as she walks to the edge of the pond.

"No!" Sokka says seriously. "You don't have to do that!" He tells her.
"It's my duty, Sokka," She tells him. He shifts around and gently sets me against the wooden arch, he looks at me with worry not wanting to leave my side. I give him a small smile, which he returns and then walks over to Yue.
"I won't let you! Your father told me to protect you!" Sokka shouts as he races over to her and takes her hand into his.
"I have to do this," She tells him as she looks down sadly and takes her hand out of his as she places them over the Moon Spirit and it begins to glow. As the glow begins to dissipate, Yue closes her eyes for last time, exhales a breath, and falls into Sokka's arms.

Suddenly, I feel like I can breathe again. I begin to cough and take deep breathes.
"NO!" Sokka shouts in despair, he looks down at the Princess, but she isn't breathing anymore. "She's gone. She's gone," He says as he holds her tightly. Yue's body suddenly begins to glow and then, she disappears. The fish glows and Iroh places it back into the water, making the pond glow and Yue appear in front of us. She now looked like a spirit. She moves over to Sokka and smiles at him lovingly.
"Goodbye, Sokka," Yue says, her voice echoing. "I will always be with you," She says as she kisses him and then fades away as the glow of the moon, returns into the sky.

A/N--> That is the end of Book One: Water. Don't worry though! I will be posting the next part in a few days, all the seasons will be in this book. I hope you all liked the first part of this book! Have a good day! -Lucy.