Balance | Old Version

Chapter 53

Elua's POV.

The feeling of something wrapping around my legs makes me jump awake. I quickly look down and see vines have twisted around me, I look over to the others and see the same is happening to them. Before I get a chance to wake everyone on up, the vines tighten around my legs and begin to pull me away from them.
"Ahhh!" We all shout as the others wake up and the vines pull us away from each other. I try to get the vines off as they drag me through the swamp, but my attempts fail. I send a slice of air at them, cutting them in half and allowing me to get out and begin to run away from them. But when I stop running, I realize that I'm now lost. Great.

"Aang? Katara? Sokka!?" I call out as I begin to walk around the swamp, but I get no answer. As I walk, I find someone standing with their back faced to me.
"Hello?" I say as I slowly walk closer to them. "Excuse me?" I say as I reach out my hand to touch their shoulder, but when they turn around I see Azulon. I back up as I shake my head in shock and confusion.
"Oh, I'm seeing things," I say as I rub my eyes, but when I open them he's still there.
"You left me, Elua," He says sadly.
"You're not real," I tell myself as I shake my head.
"We could have been happy," He tells me with a look of sadness.

"No, it was your fault," I tell him as I begin to back away.
"You could have helped me," He says as he moves forward, making me back up even more.
"I would have never betrayed my people," I tell him in anger and sadness.
"I should have had you killed when I had the chance!" He shouts as I take another step backward, but this time my foot slips and I begin to fall down one of the tree's roots.
"Ahh!" I shout as I fall into someone, making us both fall, only to fall into more people. We all fall down several roots until we come to a stop. I look up and see Sokka, Katara, and Aang.
"What do you guys think you're doing!?" Sokka shouts as he stands up. "I've been looking all over for you!" He yells.

"Well, I've been wandering around looking for you!" Katara yells back.
"I was chasing some girl," Aang says with a frown.
"What girl?" Katara asks in confusion.
"I don't know," Aang says as he rubs his head. "I heard laughing and I saw some girl in a fancy dress," He explains.
"Well, there must be a tea party here and we just didn't get our invitations!" Sokka says sarcastically as he rolls his eyes.
"...I thought I saw Mom," Katara says as she looks down sadly.

"Look, we were all just scared and hungry and our minds were playing tricks on us," Sokka says calmly. "That's why we all saw things out here," He states.
"You saw something too?" Katara asks in curiosity, Sokka sighs as he turns away from us.
"I thought I saw Yue. But, that doesn't prove anything," Sokka states. "Look, I think about her all the time, and you saw Mom, someone you miss a lot," He says as he turns back to us.
"What about me? I didn't know the girl I saw. And all our visions led us right here," Aang says as he looks around.
"Okay...so where's here? The middle of the swamp?" Katara asks.
"Yeah, the center..." Aang says as we all look up to a huge tree in front of us.

"It's the heart of the swamp, it's been calling us here, I knew it," Aang says smiling.
"It's just a tree. It can't call anyone!" Sokka says in frustration. "For the last time, there's nothing after us, and there's nothing magical happening here," He tries to convince Aang, but it doesn't seem to work. "Are you okay?" Sokka suddenly asks me.
"What?" I ask, not really paying attention. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine," I say nodding my head.
"Elua, did you see someone?" Katara asks me.
"Umm, yeah," I mumble as I am still processing everything.
"Who?" Sokka asks in curiosity.

"My fiance," I say not really thinking about it. My eyes go wide as I realize what I just said.
"Fiance!?" They all shout in shock and surprise.
"Oh, um, yeah," I say nervously.
"You were engaged?" Sokka asks in an almost hurt tone.
"Yes," I say simply.
"When?" Aang asks in confusion.
"And to who?" Katara adds.
"Um, well..." I trail off as I cross my arms nervously. "Sokka do you remember when I told you about Azulon?" I ask him.

"Yeah," He answers with a nod, not seeming to catch on.
"Well, I may have kinda, lied," I tell him awkwardly. He stares at me for a moment in confusion, but his eyes go wide in realization.
"YOU WERE ENGAGED TO HIM!?" He yells as he stares at me in shock.
"Wait, you were going to marry Azulon?" Aang asks in shock.
"That is what engaged means," I say with a nervous laugh.
"And you never told me!?" Aang shouts in anger.
"It was arranged," I tell him. "I never wanted it to happen!" I shout in anger too.
"Arranged? By who?" Katara asks in confusion.

"Fire Lord Sozin and the monks," I state. "It was meant to bring peace between the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads. Obviously, it didn't work," I explain as I look away from them.
"That's why you went to talk to Yue, because you understood," Sokka states, I nod.
"Wait, but you didn't marry him?" Katara asks. I sigh as I look back over to them and shake my head.
"No, something happened and it was called off," I state.
"What happened?" Sokka asks curiously. I sigh, so many questions, so many.
"A year before our wedding, Azulon told me about his father's plan to kill all the Air Nomads and asked me to help them. I, of course, said no," I tell them, they all looked even more shocked.

"He told me it 'had to happen' but Fire Lord Sozin would spare me. I told him that I would do anything to protect Aang, even if that meant I would have to kill Azulon," I explain.
"You knew that they were going to kill our people!?" Aang shouts in anger.
"Yes, but-" I try to say, but he cuts me off.
"Why didn't you tell them!? Why didn't you tell me!?" Aang shouts in rage. "You could have saved them!" He shouts.
"I did!" I shout back. "I did tell them. And then they told you that you were the Avatar, but they didn't tell you what was going on," I tell him.

"You could have told me!" He yells.
"I was going to!" I yell back at him. "The night you ran away, I came to your room to explain everything to you. But, you told me that you were running away. So, I figured I would go with you and tell you, then you would change your mind and go back home. But, before I got the chance we got stuck in that storm," I explain to him. He looks at me with shock and sadness.
"It's my fault, they all died because of me," Aang says with tears in his eyes.
"No, it's mine. I should have told you sooner," I tell him, as my eyes start to water as well.

"...No, it was their fault for not telling Aang," Sokka says as he gently grabs my arm and brings me into a protective hug. After a few moments, he lets go of me and I wipe the tears from my eyes.
"I'm sorry, Aang," I say as I turn to my brother. I never wanted to make him upset, but the truth will always come out.
"It's okay, it wasn't your fault," Aang states. "I'm sorry for yelling at you," He says.
"It's alright, I deserved it," I say as he quickly walks over to me and brings me into a hug.
"Okay, enough of the mushy stuff. Let's get go-" Sokka starts to say but, is interrupted by a giant creature made of vines bursting out of the water and towering over us.

"Ahhh!!!"