Wandering Firebender
Seventy One: Sowing Seeds
"Captain...with all due respect, why are we doing this if both you and Fire Lord Zuko are already pretty convinced that this isn't going to go well?" Mila asked Elio as the two of them talked by the map table.
It was first thing in the morning aboard Elio's airship. They were already in the air with a set course for the Earth Kingdom. While Elio was waiting to speak with his friends regarding their current mission, he'd gotten into a discussion with Mila about what he expected was to come.
"Well, sometimes it's worth the risk to do the right thing...but just be prepared to pack up and go in case things go south." He quickly added. Mila giggled at this.
"Hahaha, alright, captain," She said. Her and Elio shared a little laugh over this. "Oh, here comes your crew." She pointed out. Elio turned to see Alger, Cindra, and Sri all walking over.
"Perfect timing, guys. One sec," Elio held his finger up and turned back towards Mila. "Could you please brief the rest of the squad on everything I just told you? I want everyone on the same page when we arrive. Alright?" He requested of her.
"Of course. I'll go find them right now, captain." Mila said, doing a quick salute before leaving Elio to talk to the other three. Alger, Sri, and Cindra all gathered around the map table with him.
"Did we interrupt your conversation with your girlfriend?" Sri asked jokingly.
"Ugh," Elio scoffed and chuckled. "Not my girlfriend. That would be inappropriate." He said in response.
"But you two are friends. You two must've known each other for awhile." Cindra said, assuming that Elio and Mila must've already known each other. Elio shook his head and shrugged.
"Not really. I just try to have a nice ongoing relationship with everybody on the ship." He explained.
"Emphasis on the relationship part." Alger played into the joke with a smile. Elio rolled his eyes and smiled too.
"Uhuh, alright. Gather around, guys, let's discuss the mission now, please." He directed the others.
"Sure thing, captain." Sri said in a teasing manner while twirling her hair with her finger.
"Heheh. Okay. What do you have for us today, Elio?" Alger asked, helping to direct the conversation back towards the serious topic at hand.
"Alright. So Zuko has us flying out into the Earth Kingdom again. This time, we're heading here." Elio pointed to a particular spot on the map where a small coin had been placed down as a marker.
"Where is that?" Cindra asked.
"That's where Omashu is." Alger realized.
"Yes, we're going to Omashu." Elio confirmed.
"Why?" Sri asked.
"In the cargo hold below us right now, we're carrying a ton of relief supplies: food, first aid, building materials; so on. We're going there to personally deliver all of this stuff to the city." Elio explained.
"Oh wow!" Cindra exclaimed in surprise.
"Was the city in bad shape after Sozin's Comet?" Alger asked.
"Actually, not really. We've received intel that Omashu is serving as a-a central hub for sending out supplies to smaller, neighboring cities. So this stuff we're bringing is just giving the operation a boost, you know?"
"That makes sense. I'm glad that the Fire Lord is so willing to help out." Sri said appreciatively.
"I agree...but I am hesitant," Alger admitted. "There are a lot of earthbenders in Omashu. If they see us coming in this big Fire Nation balloon, I doubt they would just let us in." He shared his thoughts.
"Yeah. Fire Lord Zuko and I already had a conversation about that. I'll, uh, I'll be honest with you, we're pretty much going there totally expecting to get turned away." Elio admitted.
"Oh wow...we're not gonna have to fight, are we? I'm really not in the mood to fight with earthbenders today." Cindra said.
"Heheh, I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. But with you here, Alger, maybe you can help steer us into a positive conclusion?" Elio suggested, patting him on the shoulder.
"I will do my best, but I can't make any promises. But I will try. It's been a long time since I've been to Omashu anyways. It'll be nice to see it again." Alger thought aloud.
"I've never been to Omashu before. My family could never afford it." Sri said.
"It'll be a first for both of us then." Cindra said to Sri with a little smile.
"Great, we're all on the same page. Once you're ready, I'll show you all the supplies we're carrying." Elio said. The three of them nodded and went to their rooms, but then Cindra paused and walked back to him.
"Hey, Elio?"
"Hmm? Yeah? What's up, Cindra?" He asked, glancing up at her.
"Uh...if you don't mind, I'd like to head out to Omashu with you when we arrive." She requested.
"Oh! Haha, of course. I was gonna take you with me anyways." He pointed out with a chuckle.
"Really?"
"Of course! That's why I spoke with you and Alger and Sri separately. I want you guys right there with me." He said with a gentle smile.
"Of course. You know I got your back." Cindra replied, smiling back.
"Always," Elio nodded and winked before offering a fist-bump to her. "See you in a bit."
"See you in a bit." Cindra repeated, fist-bumping him back before quickly retreating to her room...
As morning became afternoon, finally the critical moment had arrived. They were coming up on Omashu, and Elio had directed that they land away from the city but within walking distance of the bridge leading up to its entrance.
As they came in for a landing, Cindra and Sri stared at the large city through one of the side windows in the airship.
"Oh wow! Now that is a tall city!" Cindra observed, her eyes widened in awe at how high the buildings and structures seemed to reach.
"I've heard that Omashu has the most complex mailing system in the entire Earth Kingdom." Sri commented.
"Really?" Cindra asked.
"Yes, that is actually true," Alger chimed in. "They have a series of slides and chutes that go all around the city. They put packages in these big stone, square-shaped baskets and earthbenders send them up or down the slides to wherever they need to go." He explained.
"Are you serious? That's super neat!" Sri said.
"Sounds complicated. I wanna see it now." Cindra said with a giggle.
"Well, hopefully we'll get the chance to very soon. Ya'll ready to go?" Elio asked them. They all nodded and followed Elio downstairs.
The bay door opened up. Elio and his team walked down the loading ramp and set foot on solid ground. As they approached the entrance to the bridge leading to Omashu, they could already see a group of Omashu's soldiers gathering at the gate.
"Oh boy. They don't look very happy to see us." Sri commented to the others while maintaining a friendly expression.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Cindra said under her breath.
"Let's not lose hope just yet," Elio said before greeting the men. "Hello there! Good morning! Or good afternoon rather." He smiled.
"That's far enough!" One of the soldiers held his hand out, signaling for the four of them to stop, "State your business."
"My name is Elio Chinen, I'm the captain of this airship and special agent to Fire Lord Zuko," Elio introduced himself. "We've come to offer you relief supplies for you to share with your, uh, community and the surrounding cities that you provide to as well." He clumsily explained.
"You must be joking," Another earthbender soldier spoke up. "You're the reason we need to have a relief effort in the first place. What makes you think we'd take anything from you?" He argued.
"Whoa, hey, we mean no disrespect. We're only here for peace." Elio stated.
"This is all the peace you will receive." The same soldier stepped forward, getting down into a wide stance and looking like he was about to attack.
"I would think twice before doing anything rash," Alger advised, extending his arm out in front of Elio protectively. "There's no need for any violence. Let me remind you that the war has come to an end."
"Who are you?" One of the older soldiers spoke up.
"My name is Alger of the San estate." He introduced himself.
"The San estate? I see...my name is Ko. I was knew your father." The older soldier introduced himself.
"It's nice to meet you, sir. If you knew my father then you must also know me...and where I come from. Sir, these supplies will do nothing but benefit the people here. I can personally vouch for the validity and the intent of everything we've brought you." Alger said slowly, choosing his words carefully.
"It's nice to meet you too, Master San. I see what you're trying to do here, but he have strict standing orders from King Bumi not to accept anything from the Fire Nation at this time." Ko informed them.
"But...we were cleared to come here by the Earth King himself. Doesn't that supersede him?" Elio asked, looking genuinely confused.
"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to ask you to leave." Ko said.
"Wait, hold on! Isn't there some way we can speak with this King Bumi guy?" Cindra spoke up. The soldiers shook their head at this.
"Absolutely not!" One of them protested, "King Bumi is very busy overseeing the relief efforts. He has no interest in-"
The refusal was interrupted by the ground suddenly beginning to shake. Suddenly, a tall old man in royal robes shot out of the ground, doing a front flip before landing on the ground. He stood up straight and looked back at his soldiers before beginning to cackle and snort.
"King Bumi! Sir! What are you doing out here?!" Ko asked in surprise.
"Well I heard there was a bit of a fuss going on," Bumi chuckled and looked ahead. His eyes immediately fell onto Elio. "And I do love a good fuss. Look who it is! So good to see you again, boy!" Bumi greeted Elio with a handshake.
"Whoa! Y-You too, sir." Elio returned his firm handshake.
"He knows him?" The soldiers asked in surprise.
"Of course! You're Iroh's nephew, right? Although, I seem to remember you having a scar." Bumi hummed, leaning closer to look at him.
"Um, I'm Elio, sir. Remember?" Elio reminded him, leaning back a little. "We spoke outside of Ba Sing Se...? I went to the North Pole...?" He tried.
"Ohhh yes yes yes! Of course! I knew that," Bumi grinned. "What can I do for ya, son?"
"Well...your men here-"
"Oh my goodness! Look at the size of that boat," Bumi said, pointing at Elio's airship. "I'd love to see the inside of that beast." He laughed.
"U-Uh, would you like a tour?" Elio offered in confusion.
"Gladly! How kind of you to offer, boy." Bumi laughed.
"King Bumi, there's no way we can allow you to enter that airship. It's too dangerous." One of Bumi's soldiers protested right away.
"Oh pish posh, I don't see a crown on your head. Besides, those things are only dangerous when they're on the water. Please, Elio, lead the way!" Bumi smiled, gesturing to him.
"...okay, right this way." Elio relented, clearing his throat and leading King Bumi towards the airship. The other three exchanged confused glances before falling in step behind Elio and Bumi, leaving the Earth Kingdom soldiers standing there unsure of what to do...
Elio had no idea what was going on here; he knew that Bumi was something of a weird old man, but it was hard to see what angle he was playing here. He seemed far more interested in the inner structures of Elio's airship than addressing the issue at hand.
Was he ignoring the problem entirely?
"This technology is so fascinating! You wouldn't think that something with so much metal inside could ever fly, but here we are. All it took was some innovation and some firebending." Bumi said.
"And a war." Alger added.
"Wow." Elio said, surprised by Alger's comment.
"Well, there's hardly anything in this world that can only be used for one thing and one thing only," Bumi said before turning to Elio and the others. "Thank you for the tour. I give you...hmm...3 out of 5 stars: the presentation was all there, but my tour guide didn't do a very good job explaining things." He joked.
"Bumi, sir, is it true that you have a standing order that Omashu won't receive anything from the Fire Nation?" Elio asked.
"Oh yes, I do. That's been in place for years. I put that out there smack dab in the middle of the war. It's nothing personal really, but it helps put my soldiers' minds at ease. They can be quite prideful, you know." Bumi pointed out.
"But we're trying to help here," Cindra argued. "Is maintaining their pride so important that they'll reject stuff that they need?" She asked.
"Exactly," Elio agreed. "Look, we're not looking to step on anyone's toes here, but I can't just leave if you all need this stuff. Unless you can tell me that Omashu is doing fine on its own." He tried.
"Oh no, we need these supplies." Bumi admitted frankly.
"And yet they're still saying no. Wow." Sri shook her head disapprovingly.
"Well, it's not quite that simple, children. Now, I've probably lived longer than all four of you combined, but I know that you all have seen the terrible things that this war has brought upon the world; how much people have suffered through." He pointed out.
"But we're trying to fix that." Elio argued, his frustration starting to show.
"I know, but it will take a very long time. It could take years! But that's okay; just because the people of the Earth Kingdom are offended today doesn't mean that they won't come around later on. You just have to be patient." Bumi smiled.
"But...what does that mean for us now?" Elio asked.
"Not to worry! I already knew you were coming! I got a letter from the Earth King yesterday, so I planned for this!" Bumi declared.
"What? You knew this would happen? Why didn't you say anything?" Elio asked.
"I just did, didn't I? Come, show me again where the supplies are."
Elio and Bumi made their way down to the cargo hold where all of the relief supplies were being stored in crates and large bags embroidered with Fire Nation insignias. King Bumi looked everything over and hummed as he shook his head.
"Mm mm, I'm afraid we can't accept anything in this condition."
"What do you mean?" Elio asked.
"Do you see these boxes? These bags? Oh no no, this won't do. The craftsmanship is just not right at all!" Bumi criticized, running a finger over one of the crates.
Elio's eyes narrowed on the box and fixated on the Fire Nation symbol printed on the side. After a moment, he realized what he needed to do. He quickly made his way to the closest microphone connected to the P.A. system, where he made an announcement to everyone on the ship:
"Attention, crew. This is Captain Elio speaking. I need everyone down here right way to repackage the relief supplies. I need everyone down here right now!"
Elio and his entire crew spent the rest of the afternoon taking all of the supplies out of the crates they'd been packaged in and placing them in different ones: ones with Earth Kingdom symbols on them. Once it was all done, King Bumi personally hid everything so that it could be brought to Omashu the next day.
Now night had fallen over the city. With nothing left to do here, Elio's crew prepared for departure. However, before leaving, Elio wanted to have one more conversation with Bumi.
"How are you gonna convince everyone that this isn't the stuff we brought?" Elio asked him curiously.
"Oh you just leave that to me. I'll handle it just as soon as I figure out a good story for all this stuff." Bumi said with a laugh. Elio scoffed at this.
"Yeah, of course...well, it was more trouble than it needed to be, but the important thing is that now you all have what you need, which means my mission is complete." Elio stated.
"You don't sound too thrilled about it." Bumi observed. Elio shook his head.
"Well...I guess maybe it shouldn't matter. I'm just irritated that we had to do all of this repackaging just because of stubborn pride. I mean, I get where it's coming from, and I can't even say I wouldn't be the same way...I don't know, I guess I just don't know how to feel about today.
"We got what we wanted in the end, I guess, just not in the way I wanted it to go." Elio said with a shrug.
"That's gonna happen a lot, young captain. But you're doing a lot of good out here. It sure warms the heart of this old man." Bumi smiled at him.
"Would you mind sending a message along to the Earth King? Let him know that we actually did deliver everything?"
"Sure! Don't you worry, Elio. The people here won't know what you did for them today, but one day they will," Bumi reassured him with a wink. "Don't underestimate that."
"...I won't. Thank you." Elio said appreciatively, smiling a little bit.
"You're welcome. Now you better go. It's a long way back to the Fire Nation, so you better set sail!"
"Right! Farewell, Bumi. It was nice to see you again!" Elio waved and went back into the airship.
"Take care, kid! Say hi to Iroh and his other nephew for me!" Bumi cackled, waving and watching as the airship flew away...
Once they were in the air again, Elio made his way up the stairs and towards his room. As he reached the top of the steps, he found Alger, Cindra, and Sri all sitting at a table talking and having drinks. Elio went over to them.
"Hey. Everything alright?" He asked.
"Oh yeah. It's hard to fall asleep when the ship is taking off, so we're just hanging out for a bit." Sri answered.
"We're pretty tired from all that work with the supplies today." Alger added.
"Yes. I'm sorry we ended up having to do all that extra stuff. It really didn't need to take that long." Elio said.
"It was dumb. I'm just glad it's over." Cindra said, taking a sip of her drink.
"Me too. But hey, you know we did a good thing today. We came out here to provide relief supplies to Omashu, and that's what we did, right?" Elio pointed out.
"Yeah, true." Sri acknowledged. The others nodded in agreement as well.
"Yeah. You know, it was a lot of unnecessary work, that's true, but maybe next time won't be so bad. The more we do, the better things will get," Elio said. "We just gotta keep at it."
"You think so?" Alger asked.
"I do," Elio nodded. "And I know one thing's for sure: I'm glad that you're all here. I can't think of a better team or a better group of friends to have with me." He smiled at them.
"Aww, you're too sweet, Elio," Cindra giggled. "We do make a pretty good team." She added.
"I dunno, that Avatar Aang and his friends seem like a pretty capable bunch." Sri jokingly pointed out.
"Tch, haha, you're right. But they're not here, so I guess I'mma have to make do with you." Elio chuckled, pulling his chair up and sitting at the table with them.
"Thank you, Elio. I guess if we can all come together, I can be optimistic about things in the world one day getting better too." Alger said with a warm smile.
"Absolutely. And you know, Bumi said something really nice to me earlier; what we did might go unnoticed today, but one day people will know what we did in Omashu. It's only a matter of time before people start to realize what we're about, and that things really are getting better." Elio pointed out.
"Hopefully people realize that sooner rather than later. It'll sure make our jobs a lot easier." Sri chuckled.
"Then I guess it's up to us to help the process along." Alger said, taking a sip of his drink. The four of them all unanimously agreed with this statement...