Sins of the Father

Part 2: Hope

Their mother was very happy to find out that her two sons were benders. To celebrate she cooked their favourite meal for dinner.

While they were eating their father told her about what had happened.

"What will happen now?" she asked. "Is Noa going to do anything to you or the boys."

That made him laugh. He was laughing more today than they had ever seen him. "No," he said. "Noa was furious, but not at the boys. He was angry that his girls could be defeated by someone with no prior training." He gave Noatak a pat on the back. He just smiled back and hoped his father would not see the shame in his eyes.

"That does bring up another concern," said their mother. "Who is going to train the boys now? Nobody in my family is a bender. You told me your father was a bender, but he obviously can't since he's dead. What about that man Maliq who lives near here? I heard that he is a good teacher."

"Nonsense. I'll teach them myself."

"You?"

"Yes. I may not be a bender, but I observed my father as a child when he would train or teach children. I learned everything about waterbending from him. Trust me. They will not get a better teacher than me."

She then agreed. Their training was to start the next day. They spent the rest of the evening discussing it. Tarrlock was very keen to learn, but Noatak did not say a word until him and Tarrlock were alone in their bedroom at night.

"When did you find out?" Noatak asked.

"Find out what?" responded his brother.

"You know what I mean. What you did today. The thing that Mom and Dad spent all evening talking anout." He did not want to say the name out loud.

"Oh. Last week. I can't do more than hold some snow or water in the air at the moment though. I've been practicing  when I am alone. I was going to surprise Mom and Dad some day when I am better, but I did not think I would have to do it so early.

"I never knew that you could do it too. You were so cool today. When did you find out you were a bender, Noatak?"

There it was. The word that made Noatak's stomach turn. Now that he heard it he hated it even more. He was a bender, whether he liked it or not.

"I found out when I was younger. I just never said anything to anyone. Not even Mom and Dad."

"Why? Did you want to get better before surprising them too?"

"No. I just . . . didn't want them to know."

"Why? They were so happy today when they found out."

"I know, but . . . I don't think I want to be a bender." There. He said it out loud. There was no more denying it. He was a waterbender even if he did not want to be.

Tarrlock laughed. "But everyone wants to be a bender. It's so cool to be able to make water float in the air. It makes me feel so alive when I bend."

"Well, it makes me feel sick!" That came out harsher than he meant it. "I'm sorry Tarrlock, but don't you always see something similar about all benders?"

"They're all cool?"

"They all think they are better. You saw how Noa and his daughters were today. They're all just a bunch of bullies picking on people like Dad who are just trying to get get on with their life."

"Come on, Noatak. Not all of them are like that. What about the Avatar and his friends?"

"People may call them heroes, but they did as much damage as their enemies."

"How? They saved so many people, didn't they?"

"Who did they save? They stopped the war and saved people that way, but there was still so much damage caused by them. Like the story Mom told us about when they went to Kyoshi Island. Everything was set on fire and homes were destroyed. The innocent citizens were left to fix everything when it was the benders who were fighting that caused the damage.

"And that war would never have started in the first place if it was not for benders. They are all evil!"

Tarrlock was staring at his brother in amazement and horror. He had never seen Noatak like this before.

Noatak then realised that he was scaring his brother. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know what to believe anymore. Every bender I hear about has caused pain and suffering, but now it turns out that I am one of them too."

"But so am I," said Tarrlock. "I don't want to be a bad person either, but I don't think being benders makes us evil or anything. Even if some of them are bad we don't have to be like that. We can be better."

Noatak looked into his brother's eyes. He was right. He was a bender too and Tarrlock was the kindest child Noatak had ever met. There was no way he could turn out like Noa and his daughters. 

"You're right," he said. "We can be better. We should probably get some sleep now though. Dad said he would train us first thing in the morning."

Tarrlock nodded and layed down.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night," responded Noatak.