Wandering Firebender

Fifty: Ideals

"Those firebenders have all been taken away. Apparently there was a division of earthbending soldiers nearby, but that squad diverted their attention before coming to attack us. They arrested the kill squad, so they're not gonna come after you again." Elio reassured Alger.

"That's good...and what of the market?" Alger asked.

"There's...not a lot of people here, but they're already working on getting everything repaired."

"Good. And what about you? Shouldn't you be leaving already?" Alger asked.

"I will be shortly...Alger, are you sure you'll be able to manage on your own with that injury?" Elio asked. He was seriously concerned for him.

"I'll be okay. The innkeeper will tend to my injuries. I still intend to ride out to meet Koda and the others. I may be weaker, but I can still help." He said.

"You should rest." Elio argued with a shake of his head.

"You should hurry," Alger replied, managing a smile. "I won't overdo it, I promise."

"You better not...did you know about the knife, Alger?"

"I didn't," Alger clicked his tongue. "But I would've done it either way."

"Why?" Elio asked, looking at him.

"Because, Elio, I promised that I would get you safely to the North Pole. You need all of your strength to help the people of the Northern Water Tribe." Alger pointed out.

"But Alger, now you may not be able to fight." Elio brought up.

"I know," Alger struggled to sit up a little more. "This is bigger than our wants and desires, Elio. At the end of the day, I'm willing to make these sacrifices for the greater good...this is it, Elio. If we don't give our all now then what's the point?" He said.

Elio swallowed hard, looking down at the floor. He had heard this sentiment numerous times in the past, but now that he was seeing the true implications of it, he suddenly felt very uncertain.

"Hey, Elio. Try and get some rest on your journey," Alger said, linking hands with him and giving his hand a tight squeeze. "And say hello to Cindra for me." He added, smiling again.

"I will. Take it easy...and thank you." Elio said, squeezing his hand back. He lingered just a little longer before letting go and leaving Alger to rest.

Elio walked down the beach as the sun was just coming up over the horizon. He made his way to where the boat he'd be hitching a ride on was docked. He boarded the ship and went below deck to lay down. He tried to rest, but his mind was still racing...

War demands sacrifice.

He knew that. He's always known that. But the idea of putting his life on the line really scared him. He hated it every time he had to get involved this way. Everyone he cared about seemed to have this selfless motivation ingrained in them.

Everyone he cared about was willing to risk their lives for their cause. It reminded him of certain memories of his father...

Back when Elio was a much younger boy, his father was away on deployment, as he had been several times throughout Elio's life. He and Taiga both approached their mother while she was cooking. They started to ask about him:

"Hey, mom? When is father coming home?" Taiga asked. Their mother, Rue, eyed both of them.

"I'm sorry, kids. I don't know. But you know, your father is doing very important work. He'll be gone as long as the Fire Nation needs him to be." She answered.

"What kind of work is he doing?" Elio asked. "Is he training soldiers? He does that, right?"

"He's probably out beating those bad earthbenders!" Taiga said, making a fist and pretending to throw a punch.

"Haha, I really don't know, honey." Rue giggled lightly.

"I wonder what happens after father beats them. Do they go to jail?" Elio wondered out loud.

"Maybe he kills them! I dunno." Taiga shrugged.

"Taiga! Don't talk about such things in this house." Rue quickly scolded her.

"Sorry, mother." She responded quickly and politely.

"Hmm...has father ever killed anyone though, mom?" Elio asked. Rue looked down at her children again. They were staring back up at her, waiting in expectation for an answer. She sighed.

"You'll have to ask your father when he returns home."

Of course, it would be months before their father, Sol, did return home. By the time he did, Taiga had forgotten all about that question. But Elio remembered it sometime after when he and his father were out in the woods walking.

"Out here where it's safe will be a good place for you to practice with your knife, son. You can even try throwing it against the trees, if you like." Sol offered with a chuckle.

"I will! And then I'll be like that guy in the circus! The one who was hitting the middle of the target every single time!" Young Elio exclaimed excitedly.

"It'll all come with practice. Such deadly accuracy will be of great benefit to you in the future." His father said approvingly.

'Deadly'. That was the word that triggered the memory, jarring it loose in Elio's brain.

"Oh! Hey, dad? I have a question." Elio brought up.

"What is it?"

"Have you ever...killed someone?" Elio asked slowly. He couldn't read his father's expressions back then, but he looked surprised.

"Where is this coming from?"

"I was...just wondering." Elio looked down shyly. Sol could only wonder what would bring about such a question in his child's mind, but he felt like he had no choice but to answer honestly.

"Yes, I have." He answered. Elio nodded and pondered this.

"Were they...bad people?"

"Would it be better if they were?" Sol asked to see what his son would say.

"Mhmm," Elio answered with a nod. "If they weren't bad, well...that would be worse."

"Son...not every fight is going to be about who's good and who's bad. In this war, there's right and wrong, yes, but it's also about showing the other nations how to be better. The Fire Nation is the greatest civilization that has ever existed, and it needs to stretch out over the whole world." Sol said with passion in his voice.

"Yeah...then why do they fight back, dad? Don't they know that it's good for them?" Elio asked, looking up at his father again.

"Some do, but there's a lot stubborn people who don't listen." Sol answered in a rhythmic, silly manner that made his son chuckle.

"Heheh, yeah...I think I get it."

"You'll understand more as you get older, Elio." His father reassured him, resting a hand on Elio's head and stroking his hair with his thumb...

Elio sighed to himself. He understood his father's words now, of course, but he didn't fully agree, and that had led him to where he was now, for better or worse. Every time Elio felt like he could've resolved things with his father without running away, he remembered conversations like that, and then he wasn't so sure.

Now that the ship had set sail, Elio closed his eyes, allowing the rocking of the boat and the sounds of the waves to lull him to rest.

As he relaxed and slept, he continued reminiscing about his family and his home...

He remembered a funny time back in school where he got in trouble for something stupid. He and his sister had both agreed that they would pick the same instrument for band class. He often had to help her out because she wasn't very good.

However, it was Elio who got in trouble because he was very bad at following instructions. He wanted to try different things so that he could get better, and he did this even when the teacher told him not to. It was really Elio's fault for acting out during class.

So of course, a meeting with his father had to be called.

He didn't remember much about the meeting himself. He was so embarrassed that he could barely bring himself to listen to whatever the school headmaster was saying. What he mainly remembered was the conversation he had with his father afterwards.

"Why aren't you listening to your band teacher, son?" Sol asked as the two of them were walking home.

"He's the one that isn't listening! I'm following his lessons, but he never moves on. It's so boring, dad! How am I supposed to get better if he doesn't let me?" Elio expressed his grievances with the situation.

"I'm sure that your teacher is just wanting to make sure you learn the fundamentals, and that you know them so well that you won't have to even think about them." Sol reasoned.

"There's nothing interesting about it, though. And it's the same for the recital. I don't see the point. What kind of musician only plays his instrument one way all the time?" Elio asked. Sol took a moment to think about this.

"Well...try and think about it this way. Let's say your band is like a formation of soldiers all neatly arranged. If you have one soldier who's running around doing his own thing, are things gonna go well for him?"

"No...but what does that-"

"I'm not finished. The purpose of a formation is to make sure all the soldiers are protected and can help each other. Your band is the same way. You're all different pieces of a puzzle, and when you play your part the right way, everything fits together and sounds right." Sol explained.

"Yeah...that's true. I don't sound very good yet, I guess." Elio admitted with a dry little chuckle. Sol smiled a little.

"It all comes with practice, son. Try and think of your instrument like a sword. A sword only has one purpose, right? And only one proper way to use it. But that doesn't make it pointless or useless, does it?"

"No." Elio answered. The reasoning made sense to him, but he did think that was a strange way to describe a musical instrument...

He didn't get much better at that instrument in the end, so when he finished band class, he dropped it altogether. It'd been so long now, he'd probably forgotten how to play it. But he and Taiga sure had fun learning from each other and messing around, even when it drove their parents crazy.

Thinking back to how his dad reasoned with him then, he realized that his father had always had a habit of making connections to military things in order to understand and reason with his kids. It was just natural for him. After all, Sol had joined the military back when he was Elio's age.

Elio's father, to him, was the textbook definition of someone who had dedicated their lives to a cause, that cause being the Fire Nation's global conquest agenda. Sol started out as a young foot soldier and rose through the ranks until he was given a seat at the Fire Lord's table as an advisor.

Elio's mind went back to what Alger had said earlier. He realized that Alger and his father, ironically, would likely agree on the idea of servitude and sacrifice. Elio could say that pretty certainly, because he remembered a conversation he'd had with his father about it...

It was only about 2 years ago. News had come in that Sol's cousin, Avi, had died in battle somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. It hurt his father deeply, and he often saw his dad taking time to go outside by himself so he could grieve.

"Father," Elio called to him one evening before coming outside to get him. "Mother says that dinner is ready."

"Alright, son. I'll be there soon. Thank you." Sol said with a nod. He was sitting on a rock and looking out over the Fire Nation. Elio came closer and stood by his father, looking out over the city too.

"It's a beautiful view out here, isn't it?" Sol asked him.

"It is, father...it's one of my favorite things about our house up here on the hill." Elio said.

"Yeah. I agree." Sol said with a sigh. Elio clasped his hands together in front of him, allowing a few moments of silence to pass before speaking again.

"Taiga and I were talking to mom...we were thinking it would be nice to make a little display for Avi...to honor his memory." Elio brought up. Sol smiled sadly.

"I think that would be really nice. We can all pitch in a little." He said.

"Yeah...it's really sad. He was really nice." Elio said quietly.

"He was...but he will be remembered as a hero of the Fire Nation; one who gave his life for us." Sol said.

"For us?" Elio repeated. Sol nodded again.

"Yes. When you put on that uniform and you fight, it's not just about expanding our borders or national pride, although those are factors. When you become a soldier, you swear an oath to serve and protect your nation...and those who live in it.

"Avi and I both believed in that strongly. By serving, we protect not just our own families, but all Fire Nation families. If by one life lost hundreds will be saved, then we have fulfilled our duty." Sol said, his voice breaking a little. He started to tear up again.

One of the only times he ever saw his father cry.

"Do you really believe that, dad?" Elio asked in a soft voice. His father hardly ever spoke about something so profound, so it was a lot for him to take in.

"I do," Sol nodded and looked at his son. "But despite the vows I have made, I love my children and my wife more than anything." He said, putting a hand on Elio's back.

"I know, father. I love you too."

"I know that one day, you'll go on to do great things too, son. When you're out there facing the world, remember Avi and remember me too. And son, never forget how important your role is, no matter how insignificant it may seem or how small you feel."

"I-I will, father..." Elio said uncertainly.

"I know that you'll make me proud, Elio. I can already see it in you." Sol smiled up at him...

"Hey! We're starting to get close! We'll get your boat ready!" One of the ship's sailors came down and called to him. Elio shook in surprise and sat up.

"Hm? R-Right! Let me get my things ready." Elio said. The sailor went back upstairs, leaving Elio to gather his things.

Elio sniffed as he sat up. He took in a deep breath and sighed, taking a moment to wipe the wetness from his eyes. He could feel that the air was colder now, much colder. He stood up and put his parka on. Then he gathered all of his things together, holding his staff in one hand as he went up to the main deck.

As he made his way to the front of the ship, he could see tall formations of ice poking out of the still ocean water. Elio let out another breath, and he could see the steam coming out from his mouth.

After taking all of this time to remember what he had left behind, Elio realized that he missed his father the most. Perhaps that was because he knew that his father was the one he had disappointed and hurt the most.

He had learned so many things from his father. Sol was responsible for a large portion of the ideals Elio knew and lived by today. Everything he knew about the Fire Nation too; it all came from his father. Whenever he saw Fire Nation soldiers and outposts, he remembered his dad.

In a strange way, he couldn't separate the image of his country with the image of his father. Now that he was betraying his country, he also knew that he was betraying his father and everything he stood for. But at the end of the day, he couldn't let that stop him.

The Fire Nation was wrong, and Elio could not sit back and let them attack innocent people.

"Alright, everything's all set! Let's go!" The sailor called to Elio.

"Okay! I'm coming! Thank you."

Elio climbed into a small rowboat with all of his things. The sailors onboard the ship lowered him down carefully onto the water. Elio took hold of the oars and started to row away, watching as the ship that had taken him this far turned around and went back the other way.

"No turning back now." Elio said to himself as he continued rowing north towards the North Pole. The chilling air was silent around him. Elio let out a breath.

After all of this meditating, he came to one conclusion in his heart: even if he did fail, at least he could be at peace with himself, knowing that he'd tried to do the right thing...