The Element People

11. "We're Your Family Now"

"We need to talk," the curly-haired said.

Harry had slept on what Simon had said. He realized he really had to call of a meeting with the boys. So the next day they all gathered up in Niall's tent.

They sat down around Niall's bed and Harry started telling them what Simon told him to do.

"So, he thinks we all have issues?" Louis said.

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's not what I was trying to tell you."

Zayn sighed. "He wants us to talk."

"Yeah," Harry said.

Liam crossed his arm and sloughed. "I don't see what I would need to talk about."

"Maybe your constant obsession with wanting to be the leader while you can't work in a team at all," Louis mumbled.

This immediately made Liam shot up, glaring at the older boy. "Excuse me? How about your Air Nomads issues hm? Maybe I can't work in a team, but at least I don't completely abondon my own nation like you did!"

Louis abruptly stood up."Shut up, you've no idea what you're talking about."

Zayn immediately stepped in. "Stop it. Both of you."

"I just-" Louis grumbled.

"No," Zayn said. "We're not going to have this discussion." He sighed. Hesitating. "I think Simon is right. We should talk. But we should also listen. The truth is that we don't know that much about each others past. We only see the way we're acting right now. But we don't know what's behind that."

The raven-haired looked at the other boys. Including Niall.

"Liam. I think you could be a good leader. You see the whole picture. You know what needs to happen and you even manage to see the small details. Though you're not that good at communicating. You're always busy with working on your own qualities. So busy, that you forget ours."

Liam clenched his fists,"that's not true! I-"

"Listen, I don't want to criticize you. I just want to know why. Why are you constantly busy with training your powers. Why do you want to be the leader?"

"I-" Liam looked at the ground."-I just know that's what my father would want from me. He's the chief of the water tribe. I was supposed to be the next one. And I was almost ready for that! But then they suddenly sent me away."

The other boys exchanged a glance.

"What did they say to you?" Harry carefully asked.

"I was needed for other things," Liam told them as he looked up. His lips in a straight line. "I guess I wasn't good enough to lead. But I'm trying! Don't you see how hard I'm working!"

Harry shook his head. He stood up and walked to the waterbender.

"I know how you feel. And we see everything you do. You're one of the hardest workers I know. But you're trying to be perfect and yesterday I learned that that isn't possible. I try the same thing for the Air Nomads. You try to make your father proud. But let me promise you, your father is already proud of your commitment. And we're happy to have someone like you on our team."

A small smile broke from Liam's lips." Thanks."

He looked around."I'm sorry. I condemned you guys before I actually knew you. I was taught the other element people were arrogant and stubborn people. I thought I was better than you guys. But obviously I'm not."

He turned to the oldest bender. "I'm sorry, Louis. I shouldn't have said that about you. I know you had a hard time with the Air Nomads."

Louis slowly nodded. Looking up, but purposely avoiding Harry's guys. "Yeah, I did."