Wandering Firebender
Sixty: See You Later
Elio's eyes fluttered open, and he was blinded by the gentle glow of a bright white light. He groaned in surprise, shielding his face with his hand. He sat up slowly and felt his other hand slip into ankle-deep warm water. He looked down at his hand and then around him.
That's when he saw her: the figure of a woman wearing a flowing white dress. She had beautiful blue eyes and long white hair. Elio stared up at her, astonished by her appearance and the otherworldly white glow that was surrounding her.
"Whoa...are you a spirit?" Elio asked slowly.
"I am." She answered. Her voice was very kind and surprisingly youthful in its tone. Elio swallowed nervously.
"Am I dead?" He asked. She smiled softly and shook her head.
"Not yet. Please stand, if you can." She invited him. Elio stood up slowly.
"Where am I?"
"You're still at the North Pole. You're standing in the sacred alcove of the ocean and moon spirits." The woman answered him, gesturing towards the water that Elio had just accidentally dipped his hand in.
Elio looked down at the water. Inside of a small little pool surrounded by grass were two koi fish: one white with a black spot and the other black with a white spot. Elio leaned over a little to get a closer look at them.
"Wow...these are the spirits?" He asked, pointing to them.
"Yes." The woman answered with a giggle. Elio crouched down a little, watching them swim in circles around each other.
"The ocean and moon spirits...what were their names again?"
"La and Yue." She answered. She gestured to herself when she said the second name. Elio turned his head and looked her up and down again.
"Yue... That's you? You're the moon spirit?" He asked, standing up again. Yue nodded.
"I am. It's nice to meet you, Elio."
"You know my name already?" Elio's eyes widened in surprise.
"I've known about you for awhile now, Elio. You've come a long way to get here, haven't you?"
"Yeah...last thing I remember, I was on a-a ship. I was..." Elio trailed off. The memory was hazy for him.
"She saved you. She pulled you out just before they would've killed you." Yue said. It took Elio a moment to understand what Yue meant, but his eyes widened again once he figured it out.
"Cindra saved me...where is she now?"
"Close. She's alright." She answered with a reassuring smile.
"Good. Good," Elio nodded in relief. "I guess I...owe you an apology...? This whole time, I was kinda doubtful of the whole 'Spirit World' thing. Turns out, I was very wrong." He admitted with a chuckle, looking up at her in admiration again.
"Heheh, it's alright, Elio. It was only a matter of time. A lot of people don't believe things until they see it for themselves." Yue said.
"Yeah that's very true," Elio chuckled. "This is my first direct experience with the Spirit World. Is this...standard procedure?" He asked cluelessly. Yue laughed again.
"There really isn't any 'standard procedure' in the Spirit World." She said.
"Ahaha, oh, my bad," Elio chuckled awkwardly, looking down in embarrassment. "So if I'm not dead, why am I here? N-Not that I'm not honored! I'm just...curious."
"Heheh, well...I brought you here because I wanted to thank you, Elio, for everything you've done for my home." Yue said appreciatively.
"You're welcome...I guess this is your home, huh? In the Northern Water Tribe."
"It is. I love my tribe and miss my people very much. I hated having to watch this attack happen, but the amount of lives you've saved by stepping in – it means more to me than I can express with words. I only wish that there was something that I could give you in return." Yue expressed her deep gratitude.
"No, it's alright, I'm just...I'm glad that everyone's okay." Elio said with a smile. Yue smiled in return.
"I never thought I would see my home fall into the hands of someone from the Fire Nation again," Yue said with an ironic chuckle. "But I'm glad it was you, Elio. You have a good heart, and I think more people from the Fire Nation could use that; more people in the world could use that." She said as she started to walk up to him.
"I...thank you." Elio blushed and looked down. He wanted to say more, perhaps to humbly deny his importance, but he was finding himself overwhelmed by Yue's presence.
"Do you disagree?" Yue asked curiously, standing in front of him. Elio swallowed and mustered up the nerve to look her in the eyes. It took everything in him, but he knew this could be his only chance to speak face to face with the moon spirit, and he had to make the most of it.
"No...no, I just...heheh, I'm at a loss for words. That's a huge compliment, and I'm not used to so much acknowledgment, especially coming from someone so...high up." He explained bashfully.
"It's alright," Yue smiled. She reached up and placed her hand over the left side of Elio's head. "Take care of yourself, Elio, and thank you so much for everything." She smiled and thanked him one more time before his vision faded and became white...
Elio's eyes felt heavy as he opened them slowly. He let out a guttural groan. He felt water enter his mouth. He drank it and swallowed. A woman's voice spoke to him.
"Welcome back, Elio. How are you feeling?" She asked. Elio looked up at her, but he didn't recognize her face.
"I...feel sluggish."
"You've been asleep for two days now. We've been taking care of you. We had a few scares, but you're alive, and we're confident you'll make a full recovery soon." She smiled at him. Elio sighed in relief.
"Good. How is everyone?" He asked.
"You'll find out soon. Can you sit up?" She asked. Elio swallowed again and nodded.
"Uh, y-yeah, I think so."
With the healer's help, Elio sat up slowly in his little cot. He looked around. He was inside of a little ice hut. He took another breath and steadied himself. His entire body felt very tingly and sensitive. That made sense, considering he hadn't moved of his own volition since the comet.
"Look, there's someone here to see you." The healer woman said. Elio looked up and saw Cindra entering the hut and rushing to his side.
"Elio!" She exclaimed happily as she wrapped her arms around him, "You're awake! Thank goodness you're awake!"
"Cindra," Elio wrapped an arm around her, holding her and leaning against her. "Thank you for saving me." He thanked her as he slowly let her go and reached his hand out to her.
"You would've done the same for me," She replied, smiling at him. She took his hand and held it in both of hers. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," He answered with a breathy chuckle. "My whole body feels heavy and slow."
"Well, you did take a lot of hits...you really scared me for a bit there, Elio." Cindra said.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have run in there like that." Elio quickly apologized.
"No no, it's not your fault! I'm just really glad you're okay." Cindra said with a sincere smile.
"Yeah, me too." Elio said, smiling back.
"Alright, now, Cindra. Elio still needs his rest. You can come and visit him again soon." The healer said. Cindra nodded and stood up, letting go of his hand.
"Get better soon, Elio. I'll be checking in on you every day until then." She promised.
"I'll hold you to that." Elio said with a smile. Cindra smiled in return before turning around and leaving. The healer came back around and placed her hand on Elio's head, using her waterbending to soothe and heal him.
"You're extremely fortunate, Elio; not only that you survived your injuries, but that you have been touched by the moon spirit. What a blessing!" She said.
"Yeah. That's true." Elio said with a chuckle...
It took another 3 days for Elio to regain enough strength to walk again. True to her word, Cindra came and sat with him every day. She wouldn't tell him why, but whenever she came, she had this sudden new tendency to touch his hair.
When he looked in the mirror, he saw why: he had a new streak of white hair across the left corner of his head – a white streak of hair that went from his forehead all the way to the back of his head. It fell right in line with his favorite hairstyle, but now it added a strange new definition to his appearance.
"Does it feel any different?" Cindra asked curiously, watching as Elio inspected his hair, staring at himself in the mirror as he rubbed it between his fingers.
"No, not really. It sure looks different though. I didn't know the moon spirit was in the hair stylist business." Elio joked lightly. Cindra rolled her eyes at him before cracking a smile.
"The moon spirit saved your life. I'm glad it did."
"Yeah. She didn't have to, but I'm glad she did too." He said.
"I don't know if I would've been able to heal you by myself. And I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if..."
"Hey, no need to think about it. Without you, I never would've made it. Don't discredit your part in it either." Elio said, patting a hand on her cheek. She wordlessly nodded in agreement and smiled gently.
The two of them walked outside and Elio was able to finally see how repairs were coming along. To his amazement, signs of the siege ever having taken place were already being quickly reversed. "It looks like the Northern Water Tribe is already close to being fully restored!" He exclaimed.
"Yeah! It really helps when your houses are made of the stuff you can bend," She said with a laugh. Then her tone grew more serious. "We're holding a ceremony tonight. To celebrate our win, and to honor those who died during the fight."
"Yeah? What time?"
"The funeral is at sunset. Then the banquet right after." Cindra answered. Elio hummed.
"The celebration is right after the funeral? Doesn't that seem a little...?"
"I used to think that too, but it helps put things in their proper perspective. The lives of the ones we love are the most important thing in our culture. We want to show proper respect to who they were and what they gave their lives for." Cindra explained. Elio nodded in understanding.
"Yeah...I'll be there." Elio agreed with a nod...
Elio gathered with the rest of the tribe by the edge of the water at sunset. He stayed with Cindra and her family during the proceedings, and listened quietly to the speech that Chief Arnook gave. He made sure that everyone knew that these people were to be remembered as brave heroes and good people.
Once his speech was over, he watched as relatives of the deceased made their way to the water one at a time. They held valuable items that belonged to their loved ones in their arms. One by one, they knelt down at the edge of the water and sent the various items floating adrift into the ocean.
Elio watched as one by one, these objects silently floated towards the low-lit horizon, only accompanied by the soft sounds of sobbing. Although he had no connection to anyone who had died, just seeing so many sentimental objects floating in the water really impressed upon him the magnitude of what had happened here...
"Master Hazo." Elio approached the waterbending instructor as everyone was making their way towards the chief's palace for the banquet.
"Hmm? Yes, Elio?"
"I was wondering...what happened to the leaders of the Fire Nation fleet: Admiral Huang and General Sol?" He asked.
"That's an interesting question. You hadn't heard?"
"I asked the nurses, but they just kept telling me to focus on resting and recovering." Elio answered.
"Heh, that's good advice." Hazo said with a small chuckle.
"Please. I'd like to know." Elio insisted. Hazo nodded. He could tell that this meant something to Elio, although he couldn't imagine why.
"Admiral Huang is being held somewhere secure, awaiting a trial. General Sol, you said was the other one?"
"Yes, General Sol." Elio nodded as he repeated his name.
"He's not with us. If he was also leading the siege, chances are he got away when the Fire Nation fleet retreated." Hazo guessed. Elio nodded.
"Got it. Thanks..." Elio said before walking away. He wasn't sure how he should feel knowing that his dad was still out there...but part of him was glad that his father wasn't being subjected to the same imprisonment that he went through.
Elio went to the banquet, where the mood picked up gradually. Master Hazo and some of his students, including Ansel, gave a waterbending demonstration. Elio sat next to Cindra as they ate the food. She sat at his left side, so she found herself constantly sneaking glances at his white streak of hair.
"Elio?" Cindra got his attention. He took a bite of his food and looked over at her, clearly shaken from his thoughts.
"Mhmm?" He hummed, since his mouth was full.
"You seem distracted. Is everything alright?" She asked. Elio swallowed and nodded.
"Mhmm. Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"
"I don't know. You just look like your mind is somewhere else." Cindra said. Elio thought about this for a moment then nodded again.
"Yeah, that's true. I'm just...thinking."
"What are you thinking about?"
"Home," He answered. "This whole celebration is so nice; I love the culture here. But all of this celebrating...I wonder what's happening back home. My father's on his way back now. My family is still there. Are they okay?" He explained the things he was wondering. Cindra nodded in understanding.
"That's gotta be difficult for you. I'm sorry...I do have some idea how they could be doing." She brought up.
"You do?" Elio looked at her in surprise.
"Mhmm. I heard word come in from some of the merchants. During Sozin's Comet, the Avatar fought the Fire Lord." Cindra began.
"Aang?! So he was alive!" He exclaimed.
"Yeah...uh, so yeah, he fought the Fire Lord and he won. That's why we're celebrating. The war's over!" She revealed.
Elio's eyes widened in shock. The weight of what Cindra was saying hit him all at once, and for a few moments, he froze. He couldn't breathe. His mind was racing, and nothing was coming out. Seeing his strong reaction, Cindra put a hand on his arm and leaned in closer.
"Elio...? You okay?" She asked in concern.
"The war's over...the war's over," Elio leaned forward and rested his hands on his cheeks. He rubbed his face and suddenly started to tear up. As a few tears started to fall, he laughed a little. "I can't believe it." He shook his head and smiled through the tears.
"Why are you crying, Elio?" Cindra asked. She wasn't sure if Elio was happy or upset right now.
"Because it's over. I'm not a fugitive. I don't have to hide anymore." Elio said, looking at her with a happy smile.
Cindra could see how relieved he felt. She smiled and rubbed his arm. She had nothing to say. She was just happy that he was happy...
After about another week, things had more or less returned to business as usual for the Northern Water Tribe. The settlements had all been rebuilt, and life was back to normal. As for Elio, the healers had done all they could for him, so now he just needed to train in order to get back in physical shape.
One late morning, Elio found himself standing on top of the wall at the entrance of the North Pole. He just stood there silently with his hands in his pockets, contemplatively staring out across the open water. He sighed and looked down.
"How do I tell Cindra?" He thought to himself...
"Hey, Elio." Cindra said to him as she walked up next to him. He looked at her in surprise.
"You following me?" He asked jokingly. Cindra giggled.
"No. The guards told me where to find you. How're you feeling?" She asked. Elio looked out at the horizon again.
"Better. A lot better. Not 100% yet, but at least I don't need to stay with the healers anymore. I'm pretty sure they were getting sick of me." He said with a chuckle.
"I know I would be." She responded teasingly.
"Ouch." Elio chuckled. Cindra giggled and leaned against him a little.
"You know I'm just playing."
"Heheh, I know," Elio said, smiling down at her. She looked at him and smiled back. Elio took in a breath. "Cindra, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."
"What is it?" She asked, tilting her head a little. Elio took in a deep breath.
"I...I'm gonna be leaving soon."
"Leaving?" Cindra repeated in surprise, standing up fully. Elio turned towards her.
"Yeah...I was doing a lot of thinking that night after the banquet. I imagine since Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai, he'll probably have a hand in the transition of power. Who will the next Fire Lord be? How will that affect the world? How will that affect my country? How will that affect my family?" Elio explained his thinking.
"Yeah, that's true...so you want to go back to the Fire Nation and see what's become of everything?" Cindra asked. Elio nodded.
"Yeah. Once I feel ready to make the journey, of course."
"Right, of course. Well, we'll just have to squeeze in our last little bit of time together until you're ready." Cindra said, managing a smile. Elio nodded in agreement before going up to her and giving her a hug. Cindra wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm gonna miss you." Elio said, resting his head against hers. Cindra shut her eyes and tightened her grip on him.
"Me too..."
The day that Elio left the Northern Water Tribe, almost the entire tribe gathered to see him off. Among the wreckage of the Fire Nation airships, they were able to find a smaller balloon with a basket that he could stand in. Elio figured out how to power it using his firebending.
Elio and Cindra made their way to the edge of a bridge where the balloon had been placed. Elio tossed his things for the trip inside. Cindra held out Elio's staff to him. Elio took it and set it down gently inside the basket.
"You know, when I was given this staff by Master Rala, he told me that it represents balance. Not just keeping the staff balanced in a fight, but being balanced in all things. He was big on life lessons." Elio rambled with a chuckle.
"That's cool," Cindra giggled. "I wish I could've met him. You always speak fondly about him."
"Yeah..." Elio sighed. He knew he wanted to go, but it made him sad to have to leave. He'd grown accustomed to living here, and seeing Cindra every day again.
He was certainly going to miss it here.
"I guess it's your turn to leave and go home, huh?" Cindra commented with an ironic chuckle. Elio laughed a little when he understood what Cindra was referring to.
"Yeah, I guess so, huh?" He chuckled. Cindra smiled sadly.
"You know, Elio, I was wondering...will we ever see each other again?" She asked curiously.
"Oh yeah. Definitely." He answered with a quick nod.
"Yeah?"
"Uhuh. At the very least, I'd like to come and visit. Especially now that I'm welcome here." He added with a chuckle.
"Haha, yeah...being home has been really nice, but there was always a part of me that missed our adventures together. Traveling all over the Earth Kingdom was really fun. And I never did get to see Ba Sing Se." Cindra commented, rubbing the back of her head.
"Yeah? Are you saying you'd like to...travel together again? One day?" He asked. Cindra blushed hard but nodded.
"Yeah, I would...think that could ever happen...?" She asked slowly, her tone unsure but hopeful. Elio chuckled.
"I don't know. It depends on how things are in the rest of the world. But maybe one day? I'll give you an update next time I'm here." He promised.
"You better come back, you hear me? Don't get my hopes up and then never show up." Cindra said.
"I'll be back. I promise." Elio said with a smile.
"Good, because I didn't wanna have to say goodbye again." Cindra admitted. Elio nodded in understanding before giving her a tight hug. He pressed his cheek against hers warmly.
"How does 'see you later' sound then?" He offered as an alternative.
"Heh, alright...see you later, Elio." Cindra said as they let go of each other.
"See you soon." Elio said in reply, nodding and smiling at her.
The two stared at each other, lingering for a few more moments in each other's presence. There was this silent tension between them, but because there was a large crowd around watching them, they chose to leave it at that. Cindra took a few steps back, giving Elio room to take off.
Elio stepped into the balloon, resting his hand on the side of the basket. He lifted one hand up, shooting fire into the balloon. It quickly inflated, and before long the balloon started to rise into the air. The people of the Northern Water Tribe watched as the Fire Nation insignia expanded, proudly on display on the side of the balloon.
As Elio rose into the air, he took one last look at the Northern Water Tribe and its people, the people that he'd spent so much time with. He felt a sense of pride knowing that because of him, they were alright. He could hear their applause and their cheers as they waved goodbye to him.
"Goodbye everyone! Keep a room for me when I come back!" Elio waved back to them and laughed.
As Elio rose higher and floated further away, the people started to disperse. However, Elio could still see Cindra standing there on the bridge, waiting for him to be completely out of sight before she would go home. Elio found himself thinking about his promise...
He hoped to see her again very soon.
Elio turned towards the little furnace underneath the balloon, which had been filled with flammable materials that he could use to keep the balloon afloat. He shot a quick fire blast inside to give himself a boost. Then he made his way to the front of the balloon.
He rested both hands on the edge of the basket, looking out across the water. Down below, he could see tall structures of ice floating slowly across the water. Ahead of him, the sun was casting its morning light onto his face, illuminating his lonely path back home.
Elio felt something welling up in his chest. A mixture of emotions was bubbling up inside; he couldn't say exactly what he was feeling, only that it was coming on very strong. He took in a deep breath, brushed a hand back through his hair, and smiled to himself.
"Alright. Let's go home."