Wandering Firebender

Fourty Two: To Shape Destiny

"Oh, Elio...my baby. Look at you."

"Mom." Elio realized and sat up, watching his mother enter into his prison cell.

Elio was saddened again now that his mother was here to visit; he wasn't upset because he was seeing her, but because of how tired she looked. He was happy to see her nonetheless, even though he knew that this conversation wasn't going to go well for him.

"How did this happen?! This was never how things were supposed to turn out for you!" Rue exclaimed, shaking her head and trying not tear up. Elio swallowed, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm sorry for running away, mom. I really am." Elio said sincerely. She glared at him angrily through teary eyes.

"That makes up for nothing, Elio! All the pain and grief, the restless nights! And now the crimes that you have committed?! You oughta be ashamed of yourself, Elio!" She said harshly. Elio took in a breath, doing his best to remain calm.

"I could've handled things a lot better. I was...I was trying to do the right thing." Elio defended.

"The right thing?! This is not what 'the right thing' looks like! You don't even know how deeply you've hurt us, Elio! How could you do this to us?!" She raised her voice at him, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I never meant to..."

"I'm sure you didn't, but these are the consequences of your actions, Elio! Your father has hardly been able to focus on his very important work! I haven't slept well since you left! And don't even get me started on your sister; that's a whole thing on its own." Rue huffed.

"Taiga?"

"She was devastated when you left. You abandoned her too, Elio. You have any idea what that does to a 12-13 year old girl? She's like me; she's the angriest she's ever been." She described. Elio looked down, feeling even more guilty now.

He'd never even considered how his actions would've affected his younger sister...but his mother was right. He could only imagine how angry she was at him. They would bicker all the time, sure, but he loved his sister deeply. He didn't want her to be hurt or bitter towards him.

"Has father told either of you what I spoke with him about? Anything?" He asked curiously.

"He's been at a loss for words. I don't know what you told him, but does it really matter? There's no excuse for this, Elio, for any of it..." She stood up, "Maybe someday I can bring myself to forgive you for what you've done, but not right now, that's for sure.

"You abandoned your family, Elio. You deserve to pay for what you've done, for all the people that you've hurt. Most of all, you should be ashamed...I thought you were better than this." She sighed sadly. She seemed to want to say more, but she left it at that and exited Elio's cell.

Elio let out a long, pained sigh. He sniffled and brushed away a few tears. Now piling on the words of his mother a week after hearing his father's disapproval, it became very clear to Elio that he was all but excommunicated from his family.

He had brought great shame and reproach to his family's name and reputation.

"I couldn't help but overhear, Elio...I am very sorry. I know that it is hard when your family doesn't understand your actions. You can only hope that in time, they can forgive you and realize that you only did what you thought was right." The old man spoke to him through the wall.

Elio, after hearing this, scooted back against the wall so the old man could hear him easier. He sniffed again, breathing in sharply to compose himself before he gave way to his emotions too strongly again.

"I just don't know what to say to them anymore. I don't want my family to hate me." He said before sobbing. He wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve. The old man was silent for a few seconds before responding to him.

"It is a painful thing to endure your family's disapproval. But it is more important that you do not hate yourself, Elio. Despite your regrets and your mistakes, do you still feel that you took a stand for what is truly right?" He asked Elio. Elio sighed and nodded.

"Yes, sir, I do." He answered after catching his breath.

"That is what matters most. Your family loves you, Elio. In time, they will come to terms with these things on their own. You must do the same, and forgive them for not understanding. They are only fighting for what they believe in too." The old man advised. Elio nodded.

"I know. I'm not angry with them. I just wish they could see my side." Elio lamented.

"I know. I know." The old man sighed, showing his understanding for Elio's situation...

Meanwhile, within the Fire Lord's palace, a very important meeting was being held – a meeting that would change the fate of the entire world. The highest ranking generals were all in attendance, Princess Azula and Prince Zuko were in attendance, and most importantly, Fire Lord Ozai himself was there heading the meeting.

"Sozin's comet is almost upon us, and on that day it will endow us with the strength and power of a hundred suns," Ozai said. "No bender will stand a chance against us." He said confidently.

"What are you suggesting, sir?" One of his advisors, General Shinu, asked.

"When the comet last came, my grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin, used it to wipe out the Air Nomads. Now, I will use its power to end the Earth Kingdom...permanently!" Ozai declared, stepping onto the generals' table, which was displaying a map of the entire Earth Kingdom,

"From our airships we will rain fire over their lands, a fire that will destroy everything. And out of the ashes a new world will be born, a world in which all the lands are Fire Nation, and I am the supreme ruler of everything!" Ozai proudly stated, extending his arms out.

All except Prince Zuko applauded the Fire Lord in putting such a cataclysmic plan into action. Once the meeting came to an end, all in the room were dismissed. However, shortly thereafter, Fire Lord Ozai called for one of the generals to return: a man by the name of General Chinen.

"My lord, you wished to speak with me privately?" General Chinen asked, humbly lowering himself to one knee and lowering his head before the Fire Lord.

"Something has come to my attention, General Chinen. Something of grave importance that needs to be addressed." Ozai brought up slowly.

"What is it, sir?" General Chinen asked nervously, keeping his head down.

"You are no doubt familiar with the failure of the late Admiral Zhao in his attempt to eliminate the Northern Water Tribe." He began. General Chinen's eyebrows furrowed a little. He looked up at Ozai.

"Of course I am, sir."

"As stated before, if my new world order is to unquestionably take full effect, any hope of escape needs to be snuffed out," Ozai explained, gesturing for General Chinen to stand. "I will personally see to the destruction of the Earth Kingdom, but one hope still remains."

"The North Pole." General Chinen realized, following his logic.

"Yes. Our navy failed once already. This fact alone could mean that when the Earth Kingdom falls, the world may look to the Water Tribe as a new refuge, a safe haven. You obviously understand why this can't happen." Ozai presumed.

"Yes, sir. It would hollow our victory. What do you suggest?"

"The Avatar is dead and Ba Sing Se has fallen; the rest of the Earth Kingdom will soon follow. I want you to lead a second attack on the Northern Water Tribe. With the power of Sozin's comet, all other nations will bow before us in one day."

"Me, sir? This is...a great honor, but I am not very familiar with our naval operations." General Chinen pointed out.

"You will be paired up with Admiral Huang, but I want you there to guarantee our victory. This war is nearing its end, and we will be the only flag left flying when it's all said and done. Are you prepared, General Chinen?" Ozai asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, sir, I am ready. Of course I'm ready."

"Good...I've heard word of your son. I trust that you will not let that cloud your judgment during this critical time." Ozai brought up. General Chinen shook his head and answered quickly and definitively.

"No, sir. My focus is clear. I will not let you down." He promised, bowing respectfully...

About a week after that, Elio received another visitor. It wasn't a family member this time. No, this time it was the princess looking to make another appearance. When the late evening arrived, she came into his cell spinning a large key on her finger.

"Well well well. I see the guards have removed your restraints. Congratulations. Now you have free movement as you walk in circles around your little cell." She laughed as she closed the door behind her and approached his prison bars.

"Thanks. I have been taking the opportunity to get some push-ups in." Elio joked dryly. Azula smirked a little.

"I thought you wouldn't be the type to just let yourself waste away. Not that I would've bet money on it or anything." She shrugged, using her key to unlock his cell. She put the key in her personal bag that she had slung over her shoulder.

She proceeded to step into his cell without showing any sign of fear.

"What are you doing?" Elio asked, inching back cautiously.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. And I already know you aren't going to attack me. You're smarter than that," She smiled and walked around him. "I heard that your mother came to see you. How'd that go?" She asked. Elio looked up at her strangely.

"How did you hear about that?"

"That's hardly important. Your princess asked you a question. What's your answer?" She asked, crouching down next to him. Elio leaned away slightly.

"It...didn't go well at all. She's very angry." He answered honestly.

"Naturally," Azula nodded in agreement. "It's okay, it isn't a big deal. My mother didn't like me either actually. She thought I was a monster. Do you wonder if your mother thinks the same thing about you?" She asked with a smile.

"I don't know...I'm sorry to hear that." Elio said sympathetically. Azula stood up and yawned.

"Don't be so compassionate. It's unattractive. It's what makes you weaker." She said quickly. Elio made a weird face.

"Um, okay?"

"I brought you something." Azula said with a smirk.

"You...brought me something...?" Elio repeated slowly.

"This was found in your bag. Nice to know that you're the sentimental type." Azula commented as she pulled her royal hairpiece out of her bag. Elio looked at it and quickly recognized it as the same one that she had given him back when they first met.

"You're going through my stuff now? What's this sudden fixation that you have with me?" Elio asked.

"Don't flatter yourself. It's been a slow couple weeks," Azula said, taking the pin out of the hairpiece. "Hold still now." She said, getting behind him and starting to pull at his hair.

"Hey, what're you doing?!" Elio started to pull away defensively. Azula quickly put a hand in front of him, letting a blue flame come out.

"Don't move now. You'll spoil the fun." She threatened mischievously. Elio eyed the flame wearily and stopped moving. He could hear Azula chuckling to herself. She knew he wouldn't dare fight back. She knew she had him.

Azula took his hair in her hands, placing the headpiece on his head. With a sideways smile, she put it into its proper place and slid the pin through it, "This new attitude of yours is interesting. I wonder where it was when we were at odds. It's only coming up now that you have nowhere to run." She observed with a taunting chuckle.

Once she had finished, she stepped in front of him and bent forward, spreading her arms out and pretending to bow.

"You make such a lovely princess, Elio. So radiant and beautiful." She mocked him and laughed. Elio's cheeks grew hot with embarrassment. He quickly tried to pull the headpiece off, but it was locked in place because of the pin. Azula laughed even more as he fumbled with it, trying to get it off.

"Is this what you came for? To mess with me?" He finally found the pin and got the hairpiece off. Before he could do anything with it, Azula snatched it back.

"No. But that was pretty funny," She giggled. "No, I came to let you know what's going on in the outside world since you don't get any news in here." She said.

"What do you mean?" Elio asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I have important business to attend to and I'll be off preparing soon. You might be excited to learn this, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Avatar might still be alive." Azula revealed. Elio's eyes widened.

"You're joking."

"I wish I was. But don't get too excited. If he is still around, he won't be for too long. He wants to come here. And I'll be waiting for him if and when he does." She promised.

Elio said nothing in response. He knew it would be dangerous to outwardly express that he wanted Aang to still be alive, and he wanted Aang to win that encounter.

"That's not all. I just got out of a very important meeting not too long ago. We're getting ready to burn down the entire Earth Kingdom." Azula revealed.

"What?!" Elio exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, I know, pretty incredible. It was my idea." She said proudly.

"There's no way you can do that!" He said.

"Oh we will, trust me. And not just the Earth Kingdom. I've heard word of a separate attack being planned against the Northern Water Tribe." She added. Elio's eyes widened.

"The North Pole?"

"Oh yes. Something about ensuring that there's no hope in the world? Nowhere left to run?" She looked at her nails then smirked at him.

"You won't succeed. The Fire Nation failed to take out the North Pole once already." He said.

"Yes, that's true. But the Avatar was there last time. With our new machines and one less Avatar to protect them, I think they have far less of a chance of coming out the victor, don't you?" She asked to tease him. Elio's eyebrows furrowed angrily.

"The Fire Nation won't continue to get away with this. You know as well as I do that there's a serious chance you won't succeed." Elio growled.

"Well of course there is, but I wouldn't overestimate that chance. Poor Elio, this is really getting to you, huh? Say, didn't you have a little friend from the North Pole? She was a waterbender, right?" Azula asked, knowing that this would push his buttons.

"What do you know?" Elio quickly asked. Azula shrugged.

"I know enough. Poor thing. I bet that she doesn't stand a chance. She'll probably be burned to the ground just like the rest of 'em." She said.

"Azula!" Elio raised his voice angrily. Azula glanced at him sideways and smirked. She flinched just slightly, but she played it off. She still knew that Elio wouldn't attack her.

"I told you that your compassion makes you weak. You have a soft spot for the little water peasant. I suggest you come to terms with the fact that you're inevitably going to lose her," Azula said as she got up, exiting his cell. "You've already lost everything else.

"That's the sad part about traitors, Elio. When the time comes, they always get what's coming to them. They lose everything they have and everything they love. You're gonna rot away in here with nothing but the vermin to keep you company," She said with fake pity for him as she closed his cell door.

"Ta ta, Elio. I'll miss our little chats." She said with a smirk before leaving.

Elio growled angrily and shook his head. Cindra's home was in serious danger, and Azula had only told him that because she knew that he could do nothing about it. She knew that him knowing this would eat him alive, and she was right. His blood was already beginning to boil at the thought of it.

"Elio, are you alright?" The old man called to him through the wall. Elio huffed irritably as he slid over to speak with him again.

"Pride's a little hurt; emasculated, but I'm not hurt. Did you hear what she said?" Elio asked curiously.

"I heard everything." He confirmed.

"She can't be serious, right? She's gotta just be saying all that to mess with me." Elio said worriedly with a shake of his head, wanting to deny it. However, deep down he believed what Azula was saying; she was very convincing. But he didn't want her words to be true.

"Azula is crazy – a talented manipulator. But knowing her father, I think that she is telling the truth." The old man responded. Elio's eyebrows furrowed.

"Wait...how do you know Azula that well? Who are you?" Elio asked.

"Azula is my niece." He revealed.

"Azula is your niece...?" Elio repeated slowly. His brain was still frazzled by Azula's visit, so he had to really focus to slowly put it all together. "You're Azula's uncle...you're Iroh?! General Iroh?!" Elio realized. The old man laughed as Elio finally came to this realization.

"I'm sorry that I kept my true identity from you for this long. I wanted to get to know who you were first before we talk more about what is going on." Iroh explained.

"What do you mean?" Elio asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know that you have been wondering why we have been exercising, building our bodies up these past weeks." Iroh brought up.

"I was under the impression that we were just staying healthy. What more do you have planned?" Elio asked.

"Take a moment to breathe, Elio. Relax your body. Close your eyes. Lay your head back. Open up your airway." Iroh instructed slowly.

Elio swallowed and did as Iroh instructed. He crossed his legs and got comfortable in this seated position. Despite all the stress he was under, he was able to slowly allow himself to relax. Once he was breathing easily, he responded verbally.

"Okay...I'm relaxed now."

"Good. Breathe deeply. Now Elio, tell me, what is the source of firebending? Where do we draw our power from?" Iroh asked. Elio quickly recalled his classes in school.

"The sun, right?"

"Yes, exactly right. The sun is where we draw power, and Sozin's Comet enhances our power. But as you know, when the moon rises and night comes, our abilities weaken."

"Right. You instructed me to focus on it and feel it every night. I've become quite attuned to it." Elio acknowledged.

"Good. Very good. It is very important to meditate and to be aware of your own chi. As the days have passed, have you noticed anything changing?" Iroh asked.

"I've...been growing stronger through the exercises and your training. It's been building me up. But..."

"But?"

"There's been something else going on, something external. Every day that passes, I can feel my firebending getting...slightly weaker? Is that what you're referring to?" Elio asked.

"It is...a rare but natural phenomenon is coming. On the day it arrives, you and I will leave this place." Iroh revealed. Elio's eyes widened.

"We're busting out of prison?" He asked in a hushed voice, turning his head away from the door so he wouldn't be heard.

"Yes." Iroh answered quietly after making sure the coast was clear.

"...and go where?" Elio asked as he pondered all of this.

"All in good time, Elio. For now, focus on your training. If you pay attention, you will know that the time is drawing close." He instructed. Elio nodded quietly.

"May I ask you something, sir?" Elio requested.

"What is it, Elio?"

"Prince Zuko. I couldn't help but overhear your conversations with him. I-I wasn't prying, but...he is very loud." He brought up. Iroh chuckled a bit.

"Yeah he is."

"He seems to look to you for guidance. Last time he was here, you said a lot about his legacy and family history. Does all of that really matter?" Elio asked.

"Does it matter?" Iroh repeated the question, sounding surprised that Elio was asking it.

"Yeah. Well, I mean, do you think that what you said to him will have any effect? He just doesn't seem...in his right mind." Elio said honestly. Iroh thought this over for a little bit before answering.

"My nephew is...complicated. He has had a turbulent and painful upbringing, as you well know already. But he has good inside him, I know it. He is just misguided by what he believes is his destiny." Iroh explained.

"Destiny," Elio chuckled ironically. "Azula said something about that too. They both believe in it very strongly."

"You do not?" Iroh asked. Elio shook his head.

"Not really. I believe that how we turn out in life is all our doing: it's a product of our decisions. Besides, if everything in our lives is already predetermined then what exactly are we living? It takes away the element of choice; the very idea that you can choose who you wanna be." Elio expressed.

"I see. You aren't wrong," Iroh said. "However, how you turn out is not solely a product of the decisions you make. It is influenced by your circumstances, where you are from, how you are raised, your heritage and background, and who you are as a person." He listed.

"That's...true." Elio slowly agreed.

"Take for example your father, Elio: you are the son of a high-ranking general. I've met him, you know. He is a good man who has also been misguided by love for his country. Wouldn't you agree?" Iroh asked. Elio hated to say anything bad about his father, but he nodded.

"Yes, sir, I would."

"You do not need to believe in destiny to become the person you were meant to be, Elio, but you do need to work at actively shaping your own future. Everything that you have been doing up until now, whether you've known it or not, has been in preparation for what is to come." Iroh said.

"Has it? How would you know that?" Elio asked.

"Because that is the way life works! The things you learn and experience throughout life are always preparing you for what is coming next." Iroh answered.

Elio took a few moments to consider this. It was always frustrating to him when his teachers would say things that he wouldn't understand until later. But all of this talk about the past, the present, and the future made him remember something that he could never fully explain.

"Iroh, do you believe in the Spirit World?" Elio asked.

"I do. The Spirit World plays a very important part in the way the world lives and breathes. Why do you ask?"

"I've...had a couple of vague encounters with it during my travels," Elio explained slowly. "It warned me of things that ended up happening anyways...and my old teacher, Rala, would speak to me as if he kinda knew what was coming next but couldn't tell me.

"I think he has a spiritual connection too." Elio guessed.

"You are likely right. However, I do not know anymore than you do about that. But it sounds like something from the Spirit World has taken a personal interest in you, Elio." Iroh said.

"Me?" He said in surprise, "I barely even believe it exists. Why me?"

"I'm sure you will find out soon. Get some rest now, Elio. We will continue our exercises tonight." Iroh said, grunting a little bit as he turned onto his side to relax and rest.

Elio made his way back to the center of his cell and laid down on his little thin sleeping pad. Although he was able to relax, he wasn't able to really rest, not with all these burning questions in his mind, or Azula's words looming ominously over his head.

If this escape attempt with Iroh didn't work, there would be nothing he could do about any of it...