As Ember and Theo got ready to leave, Brook met up with them as Wade helped them out the door.
"Thank you, Mrs. Ripple.", Ember said, This was . . . this was really great."
Theo of course gave Brook a smile and nod.
"Yes, thank you for having Ember and I for dinner.", he said politely, "We should do this again sometime."
Brook held up the repaired glass pitcher in her hands looking content.
"Yeah, it was.", she agreed before looking Ember's way, "And I ment what I said about your talent. I have a friend who runs the best glassmaking firm in the world. During dinner, I slipped out and I made a call. And I told her about you. They're looking for an intern. It could be an amazing opportunity."
Ember glowed with excitement which surprised Theo.
"For real?"
"It's a long way from the city, but it would be an incredible start. You have a bright future.", Brook gushed as she glanced at the pitcher still in her hands, "Look at me! I have an original Ember!"
Ember smiled nervously as she turned to go, but Theo knew she was considering the offer. He was about to go, but then Brook got his attention.
"Mr. Plasma, you are truly one of a kind. Element City needs more people like you.", she gushed.
Theo blushed showing he was thankful for the comment. Though Ember's departure made him come back to his senses.
"Hold up, I'll walk you out.", Wade told her.
As they left, Theo looked back at Brook.
"She'll consider your offer.", he told her hoping she would take the hint.
Luckily Brook did as Theo followed Ember and Wade back downstairs. Meanwhile, Cinder was still sparring with the doorman. By now, the doorman was a half-steamed waterfall and Cinder's fiery tornado had slowed to a stop as she tried catching her breath.
"I'm afraid you're still going to have to wait outside ma'am.", the doorman huffed and puffed clearly worn out as Cinder was.
"And I'm afraid . . .", Cinder gasped, "I will throw up."
Dizzy from all the spinning, she staggered towards the bushes and got behind them to regain herself just as Ember came out the door with Wade and Theo right behind her. Ember hurried towards her scooter.
"Ember!", Wade called to her, "Ember, hold up. What's going on?"
"I can't believe she basically offered me a job.", Ember stated.
Theo could sense the tension in her voice as her inner struggle heightened. Wade however didn't read the signs.
"I know!", he said, "Could be cool!"
"Yeah, super cool Wade.", Ember answered sarcastically as he flames roiled, "I could move out and make glass in a faraway city. Do whatever I want."
"I don't understand.", Wade said.
"Neither do I.", Theo put in.
Ember just started up her scooter.
"I'm going home.", she said.
"Fine, then I'm going with you.", Wade said.
Before Ember could say anything, Wade had hopped onto the back of her scooter right behind her though he left a little space so he didn't touch her. Ember groaned and revved up her scooter before zipping into the night while Wade hung on for dear life. Cinder by now had regained her balance just in time to see them drive off.
"Water guy?", she asked in confusion.
Then she heard a zap and turned just enough to see something fast take off after the couple. Even at that speed, she knew there was only one person who could move that fast and looked even more confused and surprised.
"Theo too?"
/
Theo managed to keep up with Ember though he noticed that Ember looked pretty stressed, but Wade just looked confused.
"Look, my mom was just trying to be helpful!", Wade yelled over the scooter's engine, "She doesn't know how excited you are to run the shop!"
"Arrgh!", Ember growled as she wove through traffic at such a rate that Wade was starting to stretch out.
"What is the matter?", Wade cried out.
"Nothing!", Ember snapped.
"Yeah?", Wade asked, "Because we're going about a thousand and-"
He was cut off cause Theo saw what was up ahead and screamed out loud.
"Oh my word, that's a bus!"
Ember swerved around the bus making Wade stretch out even more, but Theo almost collided into it if he hadn't sidestepped and almost collided with a car only to flip over it and hit the street once more and bolt to catch up to Wade and Ember again. By the time they reached Firetown, Theo was starting to feel the burn in his legs starting to get hard to ignore, but could still keep up with the duo.
"You don't know me Wade! Okay?", Ember declared, "So stop pretending like you do."
"What is this about?", he hollered.
"Nothing.", she answered, "Everything. I don't know. It's . . ."
Once they got to Bernie's shop, Ember skidded to a stop and Theo finally started slowing down, only to almost hit a bench, slid to the left and then finally collapsing by the store door dead tired. Wade's body had sloshed back into shape and Theo could make out what they were saying as he lay on the ground dead tired from all the running. Through the windows, the Blue Flame flickered.
"I don't think I actually do want to run the shop, okay?", Ember admitted, "That's what my temper has been trying to tell me . . . I'm trapped."
As much as Theo's legs burned, he managed to get himself to his knees and look Ember's way a bit surprised as she got off the scooter to look at the Blu Flame through the window. Ember wasn't one to admit anything like this, but it sure sounded sincere and he was thankful she wanted to get this out.
"You know what's crazy? Ever since I was a kid, I would pray to the Blue Flame to be good enough to fill my father's shoes someday. Because this place is his dream. But I never once asked . . . what I wanted to do.", she sighed, ", she sighed, "I think that's because deep down, I knew it didn't matter. Because the only way to repay a sacrifice so big is by sacrificing your life, too."
Wade was speechless and Theo was also. But before either of them found something to say to help Ember feel better, someone else's voice broke through the moment.
"Ember!", Cinder called out as she descended down the nearby Wetro platform stairs, "Don't move!"
"Oh!", Ember muttered, "My mother."
/
Theo had by now recovered and was standing by the time Cinder hurried over stopping a couple times to catch her breath.
"Mom, it's okay.", Ember started, "He's just a friend."
"Si-"
Cinder paused to take a breath while holding up her finger at Ember before she started again.
"Silence.", she ordered making Ember flinch before Cinder calmed down a little, "I can smell you from over there! You stink."
Ember's face flamed as Theo looked confused.
"What are you talking about?", Ember asked.
"You know what I'm talking about.", Cinder answered.
Theo just looked more confused.
"What exactly are you implying Mrs. Lumen?"
"Zip it!", Cinder snapped at Theo.
Ember sniffed herself and something dawned on her.
"You're smelling love on me?"
She glanced over at Wade and wondered . . . was she in love?
"If your father finds out . . .", Cinder warned, "Fire and Water cannot be together! I'll prove it! Come with me."
She led Wade and Ember into her matchmaking office, where Ember and Wade sat across from Cinder. On the table between them were two sticks. Theo observed from the door as he could see Cinder wanted this to be between the duo and her.
"I splash this on your hearts to bring love to the surface.", Cinder said before splashing Cinder and Wade each with a splash of oil.
Ember's was a little forcefully and though Wade flinched when he was splashed, he calmed down and smiled as he seemed to get pleasure from it.
"And now you must light these with your fire and I will read the smoke.", Cinder instructed.
Ember lit one stick with her flaming finger. Cinder then looked toward Wade who looked unsure as he couldn't light his stick like Ember could.
"See, Ember?", Cinder said, "It cannot be."
"Actually . . .", Wade started before moving between Ember and the sticks.
"What are you doing?", Ember whispered.
Theo raised an eyebrow as Wade lifted his shirt.
"This could be interesting.", Theo muttered quietly to himself.
Wade sloshed and bent as he focused Ember's light into a single beam of light and dragged it up his stick until it touched the top where it ignited after a moment. Ember and Cinder were quite surprised as the smoke from the two sticks formed a double helix. Cinder sniffed the smoke deeply while it rose and Ember watched. Could the smoke be saying something?
"Cinder?", Bernie called from upstairs, "Cinder? Who's down there?"
Ember looked horrified.
"It's my dad.", she said to Wade who had put his shirt back into place, "You have to go!"
She and Cinder hurried Wade to the door as Theo tried to think of something to say, but unfortunately couldn't at that moment as he noticed a light coming from the stairs which ment Bernie was almost there!
"Wait, are we a match?", Wade asked as he got out the door.
Ember and Cinder didn't answer cause they slammed the door, made him yelp and he reluctantly headed home while Theo looked apologetic. Bernie came into the room looking curious.
"What's going on?", he asked, "I woke up and nobody's upstairs!"
/
Theo thought fast, but Ember had thought faster cause she started talking before he did.
"It was just me.", she said quickly, "I was . . . double checking the locks. And Mom came down and . . ."
"Yes, and we . . .", Cinder started while darting her eyes around the room, "began talking about this door. We don't talk about this door enough!"
Theo rolled his eyes comically.
"You've got to be kidding me.", he sighed.
"Pull it together!", Ember kissed at her mother.
Bernie however hadn't heard Theo's comment and smiled.
Well, since you are awake . . . I was going to tell you tomorrow, but I'm too excited to sleep. In two days, I retire!"
"Oh!", said Ember.
"Oh, Bernie!", Cinder gasped.
"Two days?", asked Ember with a gulp.
"Yes", said Bernie, "We are going to throw a big party. A grand reopening! That way I can tell the whole world that my daughter is taking over."
Cinder clapped clearly overjoyed, but Theo noticed Ember just smiled weakly. Wasn't this what she said she didn't want? Why was it so hard for her to confess to her parents when it was so easy for Wade and him? Bernie however took Cinder by the hand and spun her around before starting on Ember again.
"And I have a gift for you. I've had this for a while, but after our talk, I know now is the time.", he announced as he pulled out a large box from behind the counter before his face grew serious again, "Before I give it to you, I need you to understand what it means to me."
Theo felt like this was something important so he backed off, but then he felt his mirror vibrate again. Making sure nobody saw him, he ducked into an aisle and took it out to see it was showing what Bernie was narrating.
"When I left Fire Land, "I gave my father the big bow. It is the highest form of respect. But my father did not return the Bow, he did not give me his blessing. He said if we left Fire Land, we would lose who we are."
Theo's mirror had gone back to normal, but he hid it back in his shirt before coming out again. Luckily nobody had noticed anything as Bernie continued.
"They never got to see all of this.", Bernie said sadly, "They didn't get to see that I never forgot we are Fire. This is a burden I still carry."
/
Theo felt sympathy for Bernie for he had been told this story before, but to hear it again still tugged his heartstrings. Cinder's eyes were welled up with tears.
"Ember", Bernie continued, "it is important that you know you have my blessing every day you come in here. So I had this made for you."
He opened the package and revealed a sign reading "Ember's Fireplace". Ember and Theo were both stunned.
"Wow, Dad.", Ember said with wide eyes.
Bernie flared with youthful energy.
"It's gonna be big, bright! Everyone is gonna see this. Ember's Fireplace!", he chuckled happily, "We will unveil it at the grand reopening!"
Cinder and Theo both feared Bernie would exhaust himself so Cinder took him by the hand.
"Come, Bernie you need your rest.", she told him.
As they passed, Cinder shot Ember and Theo each a look.
"Well, guess this got complex more.", Theo thought to himself.
He then noticed Ember sitting on the floor, alone with him in the shop, staring at the sign. Her flame dimmed as she began to quietly cry.
"Ember.", Theo thought trying to find something he could say to her, but couldn't, "Why must you choose your family over yourself? You're not them. Just because they gave up so much doesn't mean you have to as well."
As much as he wanted to tell her, he felt like she would only feel worse if he did so he left hoping she would recover. He headed up to his own room and thought about what had transpired there. Ember had admitted that she didn't want to run the shop and now she's taking back her own opinion? Wade was at least trying to understand and Theo knew he just wanted to help her out. So why was it that Ember couldn't just say it? Theo felt like crying himself, but tried to get some sleep before the mirror vibrated again.
"Now what?", Theo asked getting it out.
The mirror then showed the tempered glass seal Ember had made and it seemed to be holding up, but all the water had started to build up real high behind it making Theo tense.
"Oh dear.", he muttered, "That can't be good."
And as the mirror brought in a closer inspection, Theo noticed a tiny crack suddenly form at the base.
"Uh-oh, we're in trouble.", Theo thought, "I need to get that seal reinforced or Gale to get a proper work crew on deck or Firetown will be washed out of Element City."
Even when the mirror had gone back to normal, Theo was on edge. He was too worn out from tonight's events, but he didn't want to leave that seal the crumble. For now, he could only pray that it would hold til tomorrow.