Balance | Old Version

Chapter 1 (The Boy In The Iceberg)

My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless Firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe.
Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow the Avatar will return to save the world.

Elua's POV.

I groan as I begin to wake up, feeling like a human icecube. I open my eyes and hear voices, a girl and a boy, I believe. I push myself up with my bending. I look around and see I'm in what looks like it used to be an iceberg. I look around the wall made of ice and see a girl around Aang's age and a boy around my age. The girl is close to Aang, who is sitting against a block of ice. The boy is poking Aang in the head with the end of his spear.
"Stop it!" The girl orders the boy.
"I need to ask you something," Aang says in a weak voice.

"What?" The girl asks kindly.
"Please... come closer," Aang whispers.
"What is it?" The girl asks softly, Aang suddenly smiles.
"Will you go penguin sledding with me?" Aang asks excitedly. I shake my head with a sigh of relief that he's okay.
"Uh...sure. I guess," The girl answers confused. Aang airbends himself to his feet as he starts to rub the back of his head and looks around him.
"Ahh!" The boy exclaims as he stares at Aang in confusion.
"What's going on here?" Aang asks in confusion.
"You tell us! How'd you get in the ice?" The boy asks as he pokes Aang with his spear again.

"And why aren't you frozen?" He questions, Aang bats the spear away.
"I'm not sure," Aang says confused. Aang gasps as I hear Appa groan. Aang begins to frantically climb back up the ruined iceberg. He jumps down and lands on the huge furry animal, not seeing me behind him.
"Appa! Are you all right? Wake up, buddy." Aang says as he leans down and opens one of Appa's eyes. Appa groans as he closes his eye. Aang hops down and tries to lift Appa's huge head, but he can't. The girl and boy come around the corner and look at Appa in shock, who is now licking Aang.

"Haha! You're okay!" Aang says smiling, I clear my throat.
"I'm here too you know," I say. Aang and the other people turn to me, Aang smiles as he runs over and engulfs me in a hug.
"Are you alright?" I ask him worriedly.
"I'm okay," Aang says smiling as he lets go of me and turns to the others.
"What is that thing?" The boy asks, looking at Appa with somewhat of a fearfully look.
"This is Appa, my flying bison," Aang tells him.

"Right. And this is Katara, my flying sister." The boy says sarcastically as he motions to the girl beside him. He then turns to me and glares in curiosity.
"Who are you?" He asks.
"Oh, my name is Elua," I inform him as I put my hand to my palm and bow to him politely, he looks at me suspiciously. I look back over to Aang and see Appa is about to sneeze. Aang and I duck as Appa sneezes all over the boy.

"Ew! Ah!" He exclaims as he tries to get rid of the snot by rolling around on the ice and snow.
"Don't worry. It'll wash out." Aang tells him. The boy groans in disgust.
"Do you live around here?" I ask them curiously.
"Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? They were probably trying to signal the Fire Navy." The boy tells the girl, we now know as Katara. I look at him confused.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure they're spies for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that evil look in his eye." Katara says as we all look at Aang's innocent face.

"The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka," Katara says as she motions to the boy beside her. "You never told us your name." She says to Aang.
"I'm A...ah...ahh...ACHOO!" Aang sneezes and flies a few feet into the air. He lands back on the ground and smiles as he rubs his nose.
"I'm Aang and that's my sister, Elua." He says as he points to me.
"I told them that, Aang," I whisper to him.
"Oh, right. Hehe." Aang chuckles awkwardly.

"You just sneezed...and flew ten feet in the air," Sokka says in shock with his mouth agape.
"Really? It felt higher than that." Aang says as he looks up at the sky. Katara gasps in realization.
"You're airbenders," She says astonished.
"Sure are," Aang and I say at the same time.
"Giant light beams, flying bison, airbenders...I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense." Sokka says as he turns to walk off but all there is, besides ice and snow, is the cold blue ocean.

"Well, if you guys are stuck Appa, Aang and I can give you a lift." I offer as Aang and I airbend up onto Appa's head.
"We'd love a ride! Thanks!" Katara says happily as she runs over to Appa.
"Oh no, I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster," Sokka says as he crosses his arms.
"Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know, before you freeze to death?" Katara asks as Aang helps her up onto Appa. Sokka sighs and walks over to Appa, I stretch out my hand to help him.

He glares at me for a moment but, eventually takes my hand and I help him onto Appa. He sits on the back of Appa's saddle with a grumpy look on his face.
"Okay. First-time flyers, hold on tight!" Aang says smiling.
"Appa, yip yip!" I say as Aang shakes the reigns. Appa makes a low rumble and then launches into the air, but he just flops into the water with a huge splash and starts to swim forward.
"Come on, Appa. Yip yip!" Aang says as he shakes the reigns again, but Appa just keeps swimming.
"Wow. That was truly amazing." Sokka says sarcastically.

"Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see." Aang tells him as he makes a 'soaring' motion with his hand. He lowers his hand as he looks over to Katara and stares at her smiling. I look between them in confusion, Katara seems just as confused as I am.
"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Katara asks him, Aang stops smiling.
"Oh...I was smiling?" Aang asks her.
"Ugh!" Sokka groans in disgust as he flops onto Appa's saddle. I sigh as I look out at the water, wondering how long we were in that iceberg.