Balance | Old Version

Chapter 50

Elua's POV.

"So, is King Bumi with you guys? Is he leading the resistance?" Aang asks a soldier.
"Of course not!" The head soldier says in anger and frustration. "On the day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city...to fight for our lives and for our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi surrendered," He explains as he looks away from us in sadness and anger.
"It doesn't matter now," The head soldier says as he lifts his head up. "Fighting the Fire Nation is the only path to freedom. And freedom is worth dying for," He tells us.

"Actually there's another path to freedom," Aang states. "You could leave Omashu. You're directing all your energy to fight the Fire Nation. But, you're outnumbered," He tells them.
"Aang's right. You can't win. Your best option is to leave, so you can live to fight another day," I tell him, he shakes his head.
"You don't understand," The leader states. "They've taken our home, and we have to fight them at ANY cost!" He says in determination.

"I don't know, living to fight another day is startin' to sound pretty good to me," A soldier says.
"Yeah, I'm with the kid!" Another soldier states. The leader looks around at all the people, soldiers and citizens, who are all speaking to each other now.
"Fine," The leader sighs. "But, there are thousands of citizens that need to leave. How're we going to get them all out?" He asks us. Now that I was unsure of.
"Suckers!" Sokka suddenly exclaims. We all turn to him with a look of confusion. "You're all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox," He tells them with a knowing smile.

Later.

Everyone was now using the creatures from the sewers to make it look like they had a case of the 'pentapox'.
"Okay, everyone!" Sokka shouts to the crowd of people. "Into sick formation," He shouts to them as he and all the citizens begin to make their way to the gates of Omashu.
"Aang, what are you doing?" I hear Katara asks, making me turn around and see Aang not making a move to walk away. "Aren't you coming with us?" She asks him.
"No. I'm not leaving until I find Bumi," Aang tells her.

"I'll go with you," I tell him as I hold onto my staff.
"No, Elua you stay with the others," Aang tells me, I look at him unsure. "I'll be okay," He says, I frown, still unsure in that was a good idea.
"Are you sure?" I ask him. This would be the first time I willingly let him go on his own.
"Yeah," He answers with a nod. Momo lands on his shoulder and puts his paw on Aang's mouth, telling him he was hungry. "Sorry Momo, I'll feed you later," He tells him as he hands him over to me.
"Be careful," I tell him, he nods and airbends onto the rooftops as I follow the others.

That Night.

After we got out of Omashu, we set up camp aways away from the city. I was looking for Sokka and Katara when I come across a baby, he was wandering around holding onto Momo's tail and looking around in wonder. I look around for any sign of his parents, but one seems to notice him. I quickly walk over to him and give him a kind smile s I kneel in front of him, he giggles as I gently make the baby let go of Momo and pick him up.
"Where did you come from? hm?" I ask him with a smile as Momo lands on my shoulder and chatters. The baby smiles at me and coos, I frown as I look around again, but no one seemed to be looking for a baby. I look back down to the baby and notice that he's in Fire Nation clothes.

"Oh no," I say as I start to look for the leader of the group. Eventually, I find him talking to a few people. He turns to me and looks confused at the child.
"Um, we have a stowaway," I tell him as I hold the baby, the leader looks shocked.
"Great," He says putting his hand over his eyes and sighing. We hear something behind us, making us turn around and see Aang and Flopsy. The leader sighs as he walks over to them.
"We've got a problem. We just did a headcount," The leader tells Sokka, Katara, and Aang.
"Oh no. Did someone get left behind?" Katara asks worriedly.
"No, we have an extra," He tells her, pointing to the baby I'm holding, who is playing with Momo's tail.

Later That Night.

The sun had set and we were all sitting around a fire, watching the Fire Nation baby chase Momo around happily. He sits beside Sokka and I, he smiles curiously at Sokka's Water Tribe club and starts to chew on it.
"No! Bad Fire Nation baby!" Sokka says with a glare as he takes the club away from the child, making the baby cry.
"Sokka, he's a child. Stop being mean!" I tell him as I take the club and give it back to the baby, who instantly becomes happy again.

"Oh, you're so cute," Katara coos as she hugs the baby.
"Sure he's cute now," The leader says as he crosses his arms.
"But when he's older, he'll join the Fire Nation army. You won't think he's so cute then," He tells Katara with a stern face.
"You can't expect a child to turn out exactly like their parents," I tell him a little annoyed at his words.
"He'll be a killer," He states.

"Does that look like the face of a killer to you?" Katara asks as she holds up the baby, who looked completely innocent, and he was. We hear a screech echo through the sky as a messenger hawk flies over to us and lands on the ground. Aang walks over and takes the note from the bird.
"It's from the Fire Nation governor. He thinks we kidnapped his son," Aang states. "So...he wants to make a trade. His son...for King Bumi," He says, making us all look at him with wide eyes.