8 Chapter 4. Ember Island. Part 2.

The trial of the water element was unsuccessful. Almost all day, Mei and I simply frolicked in the water, and if initially the girl tried to stick to some model of cold, or as I call it, tsundere behavior, after a short time she completely threw it out of her head and tried her best to drown me.

She really didn't like my extreme method of dealing with the difficulty of entering the cold water. Heh-heh.

And the little one swam very well, which gave her an unfair advantage over me! I couldn't go deeper than my neck, while she swam calmly, her face radiating smug satisfaction. Despite this, I could clearly see a slight nervousness in her about whether this would make me stop playing in the water with her. Intelligent she may be, but she's still a child, so it wasn't hard to read her face and behavior. Though I'm sure, give it a couple of years, and she'll learn to control herself sufficiently.

Or maybe not. We'll live and see.

We emerged from the water tired but very pleased. At least I certainly was, having not had such fun in a long time. I felt truly my age, rather than constantly reading books. Maybe these holidays won't be as boring as I thought.

Mei seemed pleased as well. Even her sarcastic responses became less venomous.

"Alright, little one, same time in the evening, same place?" I clarified after a while, once we had fully dried off and it was time to go about our business. Or more precisely, after so much time, parents might notice the absence of their second child and problems could arise that I didn't need.

"I'm not little," Mei corrected me again without the usual spark, "And yes. In the evening on the same beach. See you, Li."

"See you, kiddo," I smiled, pulling her into a short hug. As always, she stiffened a bit from the contact, but quickly recovered and hugged me back in farewell.

And after our physical contact ended, we went almost in opposite directions.

Alright, what books do I have left at home?

***

The rest of the time on Ember Island flew by unnoticed. Almost all our time was spent together with Mei, mainly practicing sarcasm and swimming. She very persistently and very unsuccessfully tried to teach me to swim, but I swim like an axe - straight to the bottom.

Not least because of how amusingly Mei got upset about her failures in teaching me. She took them literally to heart, getting angry every time I messed up.

But besides the fun moments, there were also not so fun ones. On one particular evening, when we, as always, gathered near the same rotting fallen tree, Mei arrived before me. She was already sitting there, staring off into the distance of the ocean, just like at our first meeting.

Damn, it seems something sad happened in her family again. She still hasn't told me anything about her surroundings. Well, as I haven't really shared mine with her, actually. We just silently support each other through tough times.

Yes, I have tough times too, though it's mostly not related to my parents, but rather to understanding the transience of existence and the dread of upcoming events.

Sometimes, you know, it all became too much, and I just needed some simple human support, which Mei provided. Without words, even without touching, we just sat and looked at the ocean, sharing each other's pain.

But this time, Mei apparently couldn't just sit in silence and wanted to share what was troubling her.

"Why doesn't mom love me?" she asked quietly.

"Mei... she loves you, she just probably doesn't show it. It's often the case with aristocrats..."

"I'm not stupid, Li," she gave me a look heavy for a child, "I know that, but somehow, she always has time and emotions to show my brother. But not for me. Why?"

Oh. Damn. At a loss for words, I just hugged the girl, trying to offer support in that way at least.

"Is she your biological mom?"

"Mhm," Mei nodded, snuggling closer and continuing to speak in a barely audible voice, "my brother is actually the older one. She just doesn't love me, no matter how hard I train. I'm better than my brother in bending, better in studies, but no matter what I show her, at best I'll get cold approval. When it comes to my brother, she's ready to carry him on her hands for any little thing. What am I doing wrong?" By the end, the girl was crying.

Not like children typically do: sobbing, sniffling, and smearing snot around, but rather very maturely. Tears just involuntarily flowed from her eyes, and she, not noticing the salty trails, continued to tell her story, like a broken person. Though that's what she was: a little person, broken by her own mother.

"—...she's not even an aristocrat," Mei continued her story, "I've heard conversations that she was just a common girl who caught my father's eye. She wasn't raised in an environment where you can't show emotions. So why does she act this way towards me?

I've already mentioned that Mei is smart for her age. Here's a prime example. Who else at such a young age could make such accurate logical conclusions?

"Little one..." I hugged her even tighter, "people are inherently illogical. I don't know why your mother treats you this way, but most likely because she's just foolish. Unfortunately, people don't need many reasons to not love someone, you understand?"

"Mhm..."

"And I have to say this: you're smart, you'll understand - no matter how hard you try to become better in her eyes, her attitude towards you won't change. So do like I do - don't pay attention to the opinions of others. And she, apparently, is just another person to you."

"It seems so..." apparently having exhausted her moral strength, Mei just listened and nodded.

"And your father? Is he also barely present in your life?"

"No... he is present. And he praises me for my achievements. Sometimes supports me. But he's a father... not a mother," she finished quietly.

Yeah, and he's exactly the cold, aristocratic bastard, as per the stereotype, and I wouldn't be surprised if he sees the girl only as a valuable asset that could be sold off in marriage to climb higher. In our environment, that's practically a classic.

It probably started during the times when the war began, and all aristocrats were actually frontline commanders and came back from the front not very mentally healthy. Children absorbed their parents' behavior and act the same way, in turn, with their own children.

And regarding Mei's words... Is it necessary to explain how important a mother is to a child? A father, despite all desire, which the local one lacks, can't fully replace both parents.

"Your parents are certainly no gift. Mine too, by the way, are pretty much the same in essence."

"—..." apparently not knowing what to say, Mei looked up at my face, expressing something along the lines of "How do you fight this? How do you endure it?"

"I just don't care," I said, shrugging, "it just so happens that I truly don't care about them. It's hurtful, of course, when they don't pay attention to your achievements, just because I'm 'defective' and lack Firebending, but..."

"But you got used to it?" she finished for me with a similarly slightly broken voice.

No, I haven't gotten used to it. I'm a damn adult in a child's body, who absolutely doesn't give a damn about random people and their attitude towards me. But aloud, of course, I said something else.

"Yes. And quite quickly, to be honest.

"Help me do the same... please," wow, words of politeness are not something Mei usually uses, so the matter is indeed serious.

"Little one, I would love to, but this is strictly a matter of personal qualities. You can't cultivate indifference towards someone, especially when you're a child. Especially being a Firebender, who are renowned for their emotions."

At this point, I'm not entirely sure she understands my point. Not all adults would grasp what I mean about hormones and strong instincts in children. And she probably didn't get it but listened with a serious expression and, given the amount of simple words that add up to a complex meaning, understood only that it won't work for her and that I'm trying to help.

At least I hope that's what she understood. Unfortunately, unlike standard isekai protagonists, I can't read thoughts or even emotions. Not yet, anyway.

I still harbor the dream that I'll find a way to become a bender. To start with, being a regular bender would do, and maybe then I can achieve everything else. After all, memories of concepts like "universal mana," which exists in all living organisms, have surfaced for me, and it's quite possible that learning any elemental bending is indeed feasible.

As a last resort, there's always the option to invent firearms. Or at least try. With my brain and local scientists, sooner or later, I'll find a way to create proper gunpowder, and replicating at least the design of a revolver isn't that complex.

Well, at a minimum, I hope my knowledge from another world is enough to invent at least a crossbow.

"But someday I can... just like you?"

What can you say when looked at with such hope?

"Of course. When you grow up, you'll be a strong, beautiful Firebender, cold to the bootlicking surroundings, and prove to everyone, and first and foremost to yourself, that you're the best!"

"...bender?" apparently, that's all Mei could take from my speech, even lifting her head from my chest. Yes, while we were talking, I managed to hug her tighter.

Right, I realized this world isn't familiar with feminatives... fortunately. Or unfortunately. I don't remember how I felt about that.

"A female bender. Just made it up."

"Silly name," the girl muttered, pressing her forehead back against my chest, hiding her tear-streaked face.

"Your words, if only some could hear..."

***

"Son, where do you disappear to for most of the day?"

On the third day, the keen eye noticed... I've been spending almost all day with Mei for two weeks, and only today did my great parent - father, notice something amiss.

And he arranged an interrogation right before my evening meeting with Mei. Like he's got nothing better to do. And I need to warn the little one - with her traumas, she might think something wrong.

"Walking around," I shrugged, "what about it?"

"Walking around? Your brother trains almost all day, and you're walking around?"

Hmm, yes, poor Ji is pressed and forced to constantly learn Firebending. They literally hammer the basic katas into him, and yet, as much as I've watched, he's as far from reaching five-year-old Mei's level as a crab is from the North Pole.

"I don't possess Firebending," I slowly said, as if to a small child, reminding my father of the fact that makes him treat me as if I'm invisible.

"And? You could still train. For a soldier who doesn't possess bending, physical strength is even more important than for one who does...."

"I'm not against training, actually in favor of it," it's about time to become more proactive instead of just looking around and clicking my teeth, "but I need a trainer."

"I'll train you," my father nodded as if to his own thoughts. Was he expecting such a question from me? Does he know me well enough to anticipate my answers? We've spoken less in a lifetime than I've spoken with Mei these past few weeks.

It's hard to believe that dad is a great trainer, but okay, we'll see. At the end of the day, he should be able to provide some basic training... hopefully. I don't know what goes on in his head.

"Alright, when do we start?"

"Right now," oh, by his pleased expression, I can see some kind of catch.

"Can I go and warn a friend that I won't make it today?" I put forth a perfectly reasonable request, only to be rebuffed.

"No, I said we start right now."

"But..."

"No discussions, son," my father said louder and more angrily, "right. Now."

After neutrally looking at my parent's face for about five seconds, pondering the situation, I decided to agree. I'll have to explain all this to Mei tomorrow.

For now, let's see what the efforts of our great trainer amount to.