Wandering Firebender

Seventy: Pride

"Fire Lord Zuko. So sorry to interrupt your training, but Captain Elio wishes to speak with you." An attendant announced to him. Zuko, who was practicing his firebending forms, dropped his arms and got out of his stance.

"That's fine. Go ahead and send him in." Zuko invited. The attendant went to the doors and opened them up. Elio entered into the Fire Lord's private indoor training area.

"Hey. Sorry, I didn't know you were doing all this. I'll be brief." Elio apologized as he stepped into the room. He looked around curiously at all of the decor and fancy weapons hanging on the walls.

"It's alright, Elio. You don't need to rush. I already told you I prefer for you to speak freely." Zuko reminded him.

"Right, yeah, sorry. I also didn't know this room existed." Elio brought up.

"It's one of many secrets that my family prided themselves on. For several generations, Fire Lords and the royal family would learn advanced and secret techniques here – it's part of what's always given us our edge. When I was a boy, I was taught how to use twin broadswords here in this room."

"Wow. That's...a lot to take in." Elio commented with a little chuckle. Zuko nodded in agreement.

"What can I do for you, Elio?" He asked.

"Uh, right! Um...I've been meaning to ask this since I got here, but I got so swept up in things before that I forgot to say it, but-um...have you heard anything about my father? I don't know how he's been doing." Elio inquired.

"Your father?" Zuko looked up at him.

"Yeah. I haven't seen him since the invasion at the North Pole...I know that he escaped and retreated with the others, but I don't know anything else. Is he alright?" He asked.

"Yes, he's here. Your father returned with the men who escaped. According to reports, when he realized the battle was over, he ordered a retreat that actually saved a lot of lives, even when the admiral assigned to the siege wanted everyone to keep fighting." Zuko relayed the report he heard.

"That sounds like my dad," Elio nodded in agreement. "My father was misguided, but he is a good man. I hope that you haven't treated him too harshly." He expressed.

"After taking everything into consideration, I decided to allow your father to retire honorably. It seemed like the most reasonable thing to do. He should be at home now, as far as I know." Zuko answered him.

"Really? Can I go and see him?" Elio requested.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Elio?" Zuko asked doubtfully.

"Please. The things I did hurt my family deeply. I want to try and make amends with them." He insisted. Zuko considered this and finally nodded in understanding.

"Of course you can go. Just be careful. Take the whole day, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you." Elio bowed respectfully before leaving Zuko to his training...

It took Elio awhile to muster up the courage to finally go to his family home. He quietly trekked up the hill with a bouquet of flowers in hand. When he finally got close, his heart became heavy with all of the memories that he had previously left behind and was now returning to.

The last time he had been here was when his parents threw that graduation party for him; the one where his father tried to cut his hair in front of everyone. He still felt embarrassed thinking about that, even though it had been so long ago.

Finally, he made his way up to the front door. He took a deep breath, clutching the bouquet a little tighter as he knocked on the door with his other hand. He waited patiently until someone finally came to the door: his sister, Taiga.

"E-Elio!" Her eyes widened in shock. She took a defensive step back. "...how are you back?" She asked.

"Things have changed...is it alright if I come in in? Please?" Elio requested politely, doing his best to speak as softly and non-threateningly as possible. Taiga's face dropped down into a scowl before she quietly nodded.

"I guess. Just leave your shoes at the door." She answered.

Elio stepped inside and looked around curiously as he slipped his shoes off and nudged them out of the way with his foot. There was almost nothing unfamiliar about the house: other than a few new or different decorations, everything looked just like how he left it.

"Mom got new vases." Elio noticed with a little chuckle.

"Yeah." Taiga dryly acknowledged, closing and locking the door behind him.

Elio blinked a few times rapidly and wiped a stray tear from the inside corner of his right eye. It was an indescribable feeling to finally be back home. He had to remind himself that he could actually walk further into the house rather than just observe from the door.

"Where's mom and dad?" Elio asked.

"Mom's in the kitchen making lunch. Dad's out." She answered.

"I see." Elio nodded and walked to the kitchen quietly.

He made his way past the family dining table to get to the kitchen. There he found his mother making a homemade lunch. Her back was to him, but she started to turn when she heard someone coming.

"Who was at the door, honey?" She asked before setting her eyes on Elio. He stared back at her with a wide-eyed expression and nervously clutching a bouquet of flowers. Her eyes scanned him up and down, noting the Fire Nation clothing he was wearing.

"...Elio. This is the last place I would've expected you to come back to." She said, still in shock that he was actually here. Elio nodded a little.

"I wasn't sure if I ever could...but it's nice to be home." Elio said quietly, stepping into the kitchen and holding the flowers out to her.

Rue slowly approached him, looking over the flowers before taking them in her hands. She lifted the flowers up and turned around, taking a vase and placing them in it, "Could you fetch me some water, please?" She asked him.

"U-Uh yeah." Elio nodded and quickly retrieved some water. He took the liberty of pouring it in the vase himself.

"That's good enough, thank you," She said, signaling for him to stop. "Did you pick these lilies out on purpose?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah. They're still your favorite, right?" He asked.

"They are. I'm surprised you remember," She commented, cracking a little smile. "These will look very nice on the table. Thank you, Elio." She said appreciatively before returning to cooking.

"Yeah, of course. You're welcome." Elio replied with a nod. Taiga made her way into the kitchen and leaned against the nearest wall.

"So, I'm guessing you're not a fugitive anymore, huh?" Her sister presumed, folding her arms and staring at him.

"No. Not anymore," Elio confirmed, turning towards her slightly. "I work as an agent now...for Fire Lord Zuko." He said.

"What? But I thought..." Taiga started to speak, but then trailed off so that Elio could explain further.

"Yeah. But the war's over now. Things have changed. I've spoken with Zuko myself about what comes next for the Fire Nation, so I'm here now to help out. He's already appointed me as captain of my own airship." He revealed.

"Are you serious?" His mother asked in disbelief, looking back at him.

"I am," Elio nodded. "I...wish I had come sooner, but the Fire Lord expects much from me, and it's been taking me time to adjust to everything. I know it's not an excuse..." He clumsily apologized.

"Why did you come to visit, Elio? Really?" Taiga asked, her eyebrows furrowing now.

"To say that I'm sorry," Elio answered quickly. There was an awkward pause before he continued.

"I know that I hurt the family deeply by leaving the way that I did. So much has come out of it now, thankfully, but even now I don't know if I can really say whether or not it was the right decision to make. Either way, I don't want things to be like this between us.

"I've missed my family." Elio admitted meekly.

"Yeah..." Taiga muttered. It sounded like she wanted to make a comment but decided against it...

"Have you had anything for lunch?" Rue finally asked.

"No." Elio answered with a quick shake of his head.

"Then come have a seat at the table. You can tell us about your new position." She suggested.

"Yes, ma'am." Elio agreed with a little smile.

"I'll get you an extra plate then." Taiga said, pushing herself off of the wall she was leaning on.

"Your brother knows where everything is. Let him serve the table this time." Rue suggested.

"I'll start on that right now." Elio got to work preparing plates and drinks for the three of them. Rue served the food on each plate, and Elio set everything down in its proper places at the dining table.

"Your father won't be back until later this afternoon, so you can bring him his food for dinner when he gets home." Rue suggested.

"Yeah, I'll do that." He nodded, getting nervous at the thought of it. The three of them started to eat lunch together.

"So you're an agent for the Fire Lord now? What is that supposed to mean?" Taiga asked curiously as she sipped her drink.

"It's a new position. He refers to it as a 'special agent', which basically means that I go where he tells me, whether that's delivering supplies or talking political relations with the Earth King." He described.

"That sounds really important. I'm surprised the Fire Lord would trust you with that." Taiga commented.

"Well he trusts me...sometimes I surprised he picked me too," He admitted with a chuckle. "But yeah. He actually did have me speak with the Earth King on one occasion. Zuko seems very concerned with establishing peace with them."

"How do you feel about doing that kind of work?" His mother asked.

"It's...a lot to take in. But I'm doing my best. I really do think that what I do is good for the Fire Nation – good for the whole world." Elio said honestly.

"Well that's really nice, dear. Be careful out there."

"I will, mother. Thank you." Elio nodded appreciatively.

"I have a question." Rue spoke up again.

"What is it?"

"What made you decide to...dye that part of your hair white?" She asked slowly.

"Yeah, I was wondering that. I mean, I know you're really into your hair, but that's a weird look." Taiga added.

"Heh, it wasn't by choice. If I told you where I got it from, you probably wouldn't believe me though." Elio said with a chuckle.

"It can't be that ridiculous. Just tell us." Taiga insisted.

"Alright. Well, I spent some time in the North Pole with the Northern Water Tribe. While I was there, I was touched by the moon spirit; she gave me this lock of white hair after healing some wounds that I had received." He answered frankly.

"...what?" Taiga made a weird face.

"Oh. Wow. Um...you certainly have been on a lot of adventures." Rue commented awkwardly, unsure of what else to say about that...

Elio didn't expect to get much of a warm welcome from this family visit, but it was nice to at least spend time with his mother and sister again, even if things were awkward. However, now it was time to see his father again.

Apparently, his father had started a new habit of taking time to sit on the rock just outside their house. Since their house was on a hill, they could see a large amount of the capital city, so it was a nice place to sit quietly and think.

Today, his father decided to sit down on that rock before entering the house. So Elio had to go out to him. He took the food with him.

With every step, Elio's grip on the plate and cup tightened. He was extremely nervous. He had no idea how his father would react to him being home or his new position. Would he even say anything to him? Could things get violent? He had no idea how this would go...

"Welcome home, father." Elio greeted him, the words just barely able to come out of his throat.

Sol's head raised a little in surprise at the familiar words being spoken by an unfamiliar voice. He turned his head slightly, just enough to realize who was speaking to him. Once he knew, he did not turn his head any further. Instead, his gaze turned forward again.

"Is that the dinner Rue made today?" He asked curiously.

"It's lunch, actually," Elio answered with a dry chuckle. "Mother didn't feel like cooking again. Taiga's out with some of her friends, so we warmed you up a plate." He explained and held the food out to him.

"Thank you," He took the plate of food. "I heard about your new position from some friends of mine a few days ago. You found favor with the new Fire Lord very quickly. I wonder how that happened." He said as he took the cup.

"Fire Lord Zuko has a new vision for the Fire Nation, one different from his father's. He trusts me to help him carry it out, based on what happened at the North Pole last month." Elio summarized.

"I see...and how do you feel about your new position?" Sol asked curiously.

"Nervous...but excited. It's a large responsibility that I'm not sure I'm all the way ready for. But I believe that I can make a difference here, so I'm willing to give it my best shot." Elio answered. Sol hummed and took a minute to consider this as he began eating his food.

"Hm. I'm surprised to see you taking this on now. After you ran away, you renounced any loyalty to the Fire Nation. But I suppose now that the goals of the Fire Lord line up with your own personal beliefs, you find it much easier to represent your nation.

"Still, seems a little hypocritical to assume this position now that the war is over and things have only just changed, don't you think?" Sol shared his thinking.

"Maybe," Elio acknowledged. "My actions, good or bad, I did because of what I thought was right. It was never about betraying my loyalty to the Fire Nation, but I couldn't take part in what we were doing before. Now that things are different, I can show that I was never ashamed of where I'm from...

"I love my home, and I've missed it every day since I left. I just wish things had never gotten to this point. I blame myself for that." He said with a sigh.

"I feel the same," Sol admitted. "Perhaps if I had taught you to be a little more outspoken, and if I had been more approachable, you would've never decided to leave at all."

"I don't want to lose my family over it. I need your guidance now more than ever. I don't know how to be the authority figure; the one people look to when they don't know what to do. How do I be a leader?" Elio asked.

Sol didn't answer him right away. He set his plate down on his lap and took a sip of his water. He set it down next to him on the rock and gestured for Elio to step forward. Elio silently took a few steps forward, standing next to where his father was sitting.

"I don't know what the new Fire Lord expects of you, so I can't help you there. But if you want to be a strong leader, you need to stay informed and speak with confidence – if there's a technical issue, you should try to find the solution; if it's a personal issue, you should work to resolve it immediately.

"I think you know more about this than you give yourself credit for. The important thing is don't present yourself like you don't know what you're doing, because then that leaves room for your crew to question your authority." Sol briefly described.

"But I don't know what I'm doing." Elio pointed out.

"You don't need to tell them that." His father quickly responded.

"I guess not..." Elio rubbed the back of his head and looked away.

"Despite everything, I appreciate that you still came to me for advice...I do acknowledge that." Sol commented.

"Of course...thank you."

"You're welcome."

There was some silence between them as Sol finished his food. Elio wasn't sure what else to say; it didn't seem like the right time to start trying to make small talk with his father...

"Do you remember when we first moved into this house? How excited you and Taiga were to have a house on the hill? So close to the royal palace?" Sol recalled.

"Yeah," Elio glanced down at him briefly before turning his attention to the scenery. "It's a beautiful view. It felt like we'd become rich all of a sudden." He commented with a chuckle.

"It was a special gift, courtesy of Fire Lord Ozai, as part of my promotion. Our old house was fine too, but when we came here and I saw you two outside playing, it felt strangely...perfect for a time."

"It was perfect – mostly. We couldn't really kick our ball around anymore. Not after what happened with Mrs. Kur." He recalled.

"I forgot about that!" Sol laughed, "What happened again? Didn't you kick the ball down the hill and it landed on her roof?"

"Yeah, it bounced off the roof really hard. Probably scared her half to death. You made us apologize to her when she came up here raging mad." Elio recounted the story with an embarrassed chuckle.

"You should've gone down there yourselves when it happened. But young children have a weird way of thinking." Sol commented with a little smile.

"Yeah, I was super scared! I didn't wanna get in trouble, but I thought she'd yell at us if we went down there."

"And then she came up here and yelled at you anyway." Sol chuckled.

"Yeah..." Elio chuckled too. "But those are the kind of things I remember when I think about home. I owe a lot to you for teaching me those things as a kid. I refuse to run away from taking responsibility anymore."

"I guess you've proven that by coming here," Sol observed. "It'll take time for Rue and your sister to welcome you back. They both have scars that need to fade in that respect." He informed Elio.

"I understand that. But...I can fix that, right?"

"Keep coming and show them that you're here for them now. I think they'll come around eventually." Sol recommended.

"And what about you?" Elio inquired.

"I have things I have to come to terms with too...what happened at the North Pole really upsets me. The problem is I'm not sure what to feel about it, or what I can do about it now that I'm no longer a general." Sol admitted.

"I'm sorry...it was all so messed up, but I'm willing to move past it if you are too. I just want to be a family again." Elio expressed this desire again. Sol nodded silently.

"Should you have any more questions, or if you need advice, I'll give you the best answers I can. Long as you don't mind hearing an old man's war stories from time to time." Sol joked ironically.

"Heheh, I don't mind at all. Thank you, father."

"You're welcome." Sol managed a chuckle. Elio nodded and patted a hand on his father's shoulder.

"I have to go back to the palace, but I'll visit again soon. I promise."

"You don't have to promise anything. Just come when you can. We'll leave space for you at the table." Sol said. Elio smiled at this.

"Thank you. When you see what I'm doing out there, I hope that you'll be proud of me again."

Elio let that expression be the final word. He turned away from his father and left, walking past his house to make the descent down the hill. He returned to the royal palace and went to bed soon after. He knew he would need the rest.

Tomorrow, he would receive his next assignment...