Balance

─𝙤. 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦

          She reached her hand back out and slowly placed her pale fingertips onto the door handle, turning the knob to the side before she gently pushed it open. She peeked her head into the room that had been guarded by the lumber frame. There were no objects of sentimental value within the room that appeared before her, in fact, there was barely anything within the lonely chamber at all. The only noticeable value was a staff leaning against the window that sat across from the doorway. It was native to this young woman's people, only carved by the Air Nomads that lived within their few temples, and of which she personally owned one of, as well: a glider. A tool that could only be used by Airbenders.

          A young boy was among the few things within the room. He stood in front of a neatly made bed, where he placed an agilely rolled-up scroll of paper bound with thin twine onto a plush white pillow, making not a sound as he did so. He didn't seem to notice the girl that now stood behind him. He was far too focused on what he was doing to have noticed her—or perhaps, he was far too engrossed in his thoughts, to have noticed her presence.

          "Aang?" the young woman couldn't help but speak in a sense of confusion as she closed the door behind herself.

          The boy jumped at the sound of her voice, "Elua!" he yelped in surprise as he swiftly turned around on the back of his boots with nothing but a big and bogus smile plastered on his pale face.

          "What are you up to?" Elua asked with her arms crossed over her chest and eyes squinted in an action of suspicion. She could already tell he was acting unnaturally.

          The boy in front of her—Aang—chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his bald head, right where the beginnings of a blue tattoo began to show from beneath his yellow and orange robes. They were in the shape of an arrowhead, painted in the light color of blue that resembled that of a cloudless summer sky, and traveled down the center points of his forehead, neck, and arms. It was something that all airbenders were given when they entered mastery... including Elua.

          "Nothing!" Aang chuckled again as he gave his sister another fake smile. "I was just... going to bed," he said, obviously lying through his teeth. He desperately tried to keep that innocent look on his face as he spoke to her. It wasn't going very well so far.

          His unusual behavior made Elua frown once again. She took her eyes off of him as she lifted her chin ever so much and leaned past her younger brother, attempting to get a glimpse of whatever it was that he had placed on his pillow only a moment ago, but he quickly followed her actions and blocked her from finding what she was looking towards.

          Elua frowned as she moved her posture back up, "What are you hiding?" she asked, looking down at him in puzzlement, uncertain why he would hide whatever this was from her.

          Aang slowly looked away from her with an expression of shame overtaking his fake smile and not daring to glance back up at her as he kept himself quiet. Whatever this was about, he obviously didn't plan on telling her, or maybe he just couldn't bring himself to tell her. Either way, she had to know what was going on, it was the only way for her to help.

          "Aang...?" Elua trailed off with a sense of invitation for him to share whatever it was that seemed to be bothering him. She only got a mumble in return. "What?" she asked as her frown deepened in confusion due to his muted response.

           "I'm running away, okay?" Aang rushed his words out as quickly as he could. His shoulders slumped as he spoke to her, gaze turning back up, spotting the look of shock and disbelief that fell over his older sister's face. "They're going to send me away," he said as his voice sounded strained from the lump of pain and sorrow built up within his throat.