Balance | Old Version

Chapter 75 (Lake Laogai)

Elua's POV.

Katara, Aang, and I had just got back from the printer with posters of Appa. They were extremely well done and looked almost exactly like our furry friend.
"We found a printer to make our posters," Katara says as she holds up one of the posters.
"Hey, I thought designing the 'lost Appa poster' was my job? I've been working all day on my Appa," Sokka says as he holds up a bad drawing of Appa.
"Sokka, the arrow is on Appa's head," Aang tells him as he looks closer at the drawing.
"This IS his head," Sokka states, pointing to the arrow.
"Why are feet coming out of it?" Katara asks as she takes the drawing from him.

"Those are his horns!" Sokka exclaims as he takes the drawing back. "I haven't seen him awhile ok?" He says as his shoulders slump.
"It looks just like him to me," Toph says jokingly.
"Thank you, I worked really...Why do you feel the need to do that?" Sokka asks in annoyance as he remembers that Toph is blind.
"Let's just stick with the professional version," I tell him with a kind smile, not wanting him to feel bad.
"Come on, let's get busy!" Aang says as he runs out of the house.

Later.

Katara and Sokka were playing a card game while Toph and I were sitting on the floor lazily.
"I just finished dropping all the leaflets. Has anyone come in with news about Appa?" Aang asks as he walks back into the house.
"It's only been a day, just be patient," I tell him as he sits down. After a few seconds, there's a knock on the door.
"Wow, you're right! Patience really pays off," Aang says as he runs over and opens the door, only to see Joo Dee standing there with a big smile.
"Hello, Aang and Elua and Katara and Sokka and Toph," She says with a sickeningly sweet smile.
"What happened to you? Did the Dai Li throw you in jail?" Sokka asks her.

"What, jail? Of course not. The Dai Li are the protectors of our cultural heritage," Joo Dee states.
"But, you disappeared at the Earth King's party," Toph says.
"Oh, I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai, out in the country. It was quite relaxing," She tells us.
"But, then they replaced you with some other woman who also said her name was Joo Dee," Katara says with a frown of confusion.
"I'm Joo Dee," Joo Dee says pointing to herself.
"Why are you here?" I ask her as I cross my arms. I was really getting sick of these people, and I had a bad feeling about the city.

"Dropping flyers and putting up posters isn't permitted within the city. Not without proper clearance," Joo Dee tells us as she hands Aang one of the flyers he had dropped.
"We can't wait around to get permission for everything," Sokka tells her in annoyance.
"You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters," Joo Dee says, her smile not falling from her face.
"WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE RULES AND WE'RE NOT ASKING PERMISSION!!" Aang yells, his face red with anger. Everyone looks at him shocked, but I wasn't surprised by his outburst.
"Aang's right. We're finding Appa on our own and you should stay out of our way," I tell her with a glare as I slam the door in her face.

"That might come back to bite us in the blubber," Sokka says.
"I don't care. From now on we do whatever it takes to find Appa," Aang tells us.
"YEAH! Let's break some rules!" Toph says happily as she bends a huge hole in the side of the house, we look at her shocked.
"That was definitely not what he meant," I tell her, shaking my head as we walk out of the house and start to put posters on the walls around the city.
"We'll split up to cover more area," Sokka says. "Toph, I guess you should just come with me," He tells her.
"Why? because you think I can't put up posters on my own?" Toph asks as she takes a poster and angrily puts it on the wall backward.

"It's upside-down, isn't it?" Toph asks as her shoulders slump. "I'll just go with Sokka," She says as they walk off. Aang goes by himself and I go with Katara. I start to put a poster on a pillar when I hear footsteps behind me.
"Katara?" I hear someone say, I turn around and see a boy with dark hair around Sokka's age.
"Can we help you?" I ask him, confused as to how he knows Katara's name.
"I think I can help you," He says smiling kindly.
"How so?" I ask him in confusion. But, before he can speak again, Katara bends a huge wave at him.

"Katara, what are you doing!?" I shout in shock and confusion as Katara bends at him again.
"Katara! I've changed!" The teen shouts as a wave of water sends him into an alley.
"Tell it to some other girl!" Katara shouts at him as she angrily sends ice spikes at him.
"I don't want to fight you! I'm here to help," He says as he drops his swords. Katara seems taken back by his actions, but she shakes it off and sends more ice spikes at him, trapping him against the wall. I stand behind her, still completely confused as the others run into the alley behind us.
"Katara, what is it?" Sokka asks his sister worriedly, but a look of realization falls over his face as he sees the boy pinned to the wall.

"Jet's back."