Chapter Text
“I’m so lucky.”
Those words—they scorched Ember like a searing bolt of lightning. A flashback of her àshfá, tired, weary, struggling to repair the broken shop, flashed through her head. The blue flame, his coughing, Firetown, the shop. I’m so lucky I have you, he had told her.
Ember gasped and pulled away. What was she thinking? This was wrong—she was being selfish. A bad daughter. She had come to break up with Wade. Not accidentally, maybe, possibly, fall in— No! She was scheduled to take over the shop in one day’s time. One day’s time! Her father was counting on her to carry on his dream. And what was she doing? She was with a Water guy, imagining a life that would crush her parents. After all they had been through—after everything her àshfá had sacrificed and entrusted to her—what right did she have to even consider leaving all that?
“I have to go,” she said hurriedly, rushing toward the Mineral Lake train stop on the other side of the shore.
“Ember?” Wade asked in utter confusion. "Where are you going?”
“Back to my life at the shop,” Ember said firmly. “Where I belong. I take over tomorrow.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up!” Wade tried to block her path. “You said you didn't want to run your father's shop, that you felt Trapped. Don't you want to figure out what you want?.”
“It doesn’t matter what I want,” Ember told him.
“Of course it Matters!” Wade said more forcefully than Ember had ever heard from him.
“Why do you think I brought you here. You're so smart, talented, my family was so impressed towards the First fire person they ever got to talk to. You have the opportunity to do something you Want with your life!”
“Want?!” Ember glared at him. Shame and fury burned in her eyes. “Yeah, that may work in your rich kid ‘follow your heart’ family. But getting to do what you want is a luxury. And not for people like me. People that built their own Ghetto just live in this Town.”
“Just tell your Father how you feel.” Wade implored. “It may sound scary, getting to work with different Elements that are not Fire. Your Dad finding out but he can't possibly choose his own shop over you. Try to reason with him, Maybe he can change his mind.”
“Oh, yeah. Like it can work out like last time you met him.” Ember rolled her eyes and started up the train stairs.
"Funny." Wade called after her. "I can see your temper what's telling you right now, you're just afraid."
(BURRRNNN)
"....Don't you DARE Judge me!" Ember shook with anger. "Twenty Three Years I worked in that shop. I seen My Father built his dream, build Fire Town and raising his own daughter from nothing.”
”And he's not gonna be in this world for much longer. He told me someday his dream will be my dream, all of our family's Hope and Legacy.
“You don't know what it's like to have parents who gave up everything and depend on their lives on your shoulders. I'm FIRE,Wade. I don't know what is it you SEE in me but I can't be anything more than that."
"It's what I am and what my family wants and I can't throw all of that away just for you!" Ember shouted The train pulled into the station.
Ember backed away towards the doors, she looked back at Wade one more time maybe the last time she thought. Wade was silent but the soft frown and his disappointed eyes looked back at Ember, ironically there were no tears in eyes. There didn't need to be.
"Do you get it now. Just go……..go back and focus on your life, your family" Ember signed "Find another girl that can treat you better..........you deserve better." Ember walked into the train entrance downtrodden and head down.
Wade reached out but couldn't say anything back. He couldn't believed what he heard Ember not only sacrificing her own happiness and future to be tied down to her parents dream but felt like she doesn't deserve any happiness. She doesn’t have a life of her own to choose?
Wade finally did understood from all their talks and activities they did together; she never experienced any fun or had any friends. Ember never mentioned she had other fire friends she hung out or at least did anything in fire town without her dad’s shop involved.
Wade felt the need to help her out of her comfort zone and enjoy life presented to any young adult. But the worst part of all was how Wade felt he failed Ember.
He didn't try hard enough to make her socially comfortable in the city.The theater, the Photo Booth, The Lake, Restructuring the Dam with glass to stop the flooding, Ember meeting his family, Her chance to see a Vivisteria Flower for the first time, and held each other close without harming the other. Prove that Fire and Water can mix and make a connection. But it was all for naught.
Wade felt reminded by his repeating downfalls, At his high school, his job,... the disappointing look from his Dad.
"..."Wade begrudgingly walked home... alone friendless once again.
Ember slid down with her back facing the door and knees curled up to her chest. An automated noise pop up from the roof of the train. Old Jazzy Music started rain in on her head.
"After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
“You'll feel blue"(the quality sound of the song starts to get better; movie edit)
“You’ll feel sad”
“You’ll miss the dearest love”
“You‘ve ever had”
All Ember did was pull her hood up her head, tighten her arms around her knees so her face is hidden, her light dimmed inside the cart. A sobbing is heard in the only train cart with one tearful passenger.
A wide shot is shown Downtown streets with multiple cars and lights illuminating the city. Wade sitting inside in one of the passenger buses. Looking at a window beside him, the multiple Elements going through their everyday lives in night. Undisturbed by his plight.
"There'll come a time"
"Now don't forget it"
Wade looked forward and saw a couple sitting two seats in front of him. A Water Element man and Earth Element woman sitting beside each other enjoying a clip on the woman's phone. The Water man put an arm around her shoulder leaning closer to her head. The woman did the same.
"There'll come a time"
"When you'll regret it"
Wade's frown still stayed and decided not to look disrespectful. Wade continued to keep looking out. Determined Not to let any tears bursting out inside the bus. Keep holding it in.
"Someday when you grow lonely"
"Your heart'll break like mine"
"And you'll want me only"
"After you've gone"
"After you've gone away"
“After I'm gone after the break up"
"After I'm gone you're gonna wake up"
Ember came walking down the train station stairs towards the Fire Place. Where everything started this whole self discovery and reflection of herself wanting to help her father's dream at the cost of being tied down to one little store. She wish things could be different.
Ember looks up at her father's sign up too but it is covered in a leather sheet covering the sign. She can't believe it, even try to deny it but the situation unraveling in front of her. She knows what that signs says now but can't mask her fear.
"You will find"
"You were blind"
"Not to let somebody"
"Turn around your mind"
Ember quickly runs towards the shop. Opens the door, runs inside; she ignores her mother’s calls and heads immediately up to the roof alone.
Wade standing inside an elevator of Progress Towers but he wasn't reaching for his mother's penthouse, Wade depressingly walk out of the doors and headed towards the rooftop entrance. This was his second visit up on roof. The first was one week after his father passing. where he sat down on the edge five feet away from waterfalls to collect his thoughts.
Just looking out towards the city buildings. All by himself
It reminded him of that time he took Ember to the top of Solaire tower and stood beside her. She looked so beautiful that day but now like the gravity pulling down these gallons of water towards the ground, Wade failed a second time ruining someone he love. First was his Dad now it was Ember.
"And after the years we've been together"
"The joy and tears"
"All kinds of weather"
"Someday blue and downhearted"
"You're gonna beg to be with me"
"Back where you started"
Wade tears softly came out of his and dripped towards the floor. He never felt more saddened more downright disgusted with himself than he ever felt before.He can’t find his flow He can't seem to do anything right(The camera facing Wade zooms out and gives a wide shot of the tower)
“After I'm gone
“After I'm gone..."
“After I have gone away"
Ember sits right in the middle of the rooftop looking out towards Element City. She thinks it both a blessing and a curse but can't decide which one is more prevalent. The city that rejects Firish people but there are people who can accept her. The city that can't even address there's a broken dam needed to fix but there was people at the ready to fix it. And.... Wade she thought fondly.
The compassionate Water guy that was always there from the start. He could've easily walked away from her problems and she would've been in a much worse situation than she's currently in. All she wanted to do was save her father's business but the escapades was her choice to follow through. Going along with Wade and make him apart of her life to visit, to talk to.
Ember's curiosity to a world unknown to her, unlocking the door for opportunity once in a lifetime for any fire Element. There has never been a fire element that has stood shoulder to shoulder with the other three. A fire element with a high paying job, a big house, the advantages to explore anywhere she can go and places to see. That could be her, That Fire Element that can. But her Temp- no there never was a temper to begin with. It was the uncertainty of the unknown and sticking to what truly is known pulled her down realistically.
’you think abandoning them is better, get real’
Even if it's uncomfortable, her family demanded it. A Good Daughter she must be. A Hard working she must be. There be no weakness, no tears to be shed ever. A sacrifice must be repaid. People don’t forget, there’s always a price.
Although she doesn't say out loud she did learn one thing from this experience. This life changing moment.
Water and Fire can mix .Growth and Comfort do not. And it's all her fault. She can't seem to do anything right.