With Wan Shi Tong's active participation, Cadence was able to control her Airbending rather rapidly, and the Knowledge Spirit had provided several pointers on further study for each of her bending abilities. With that knowledge under her wings, she and Iroh decided it was time to make their way back to the Fire Nation. They had been gone nearly two years, and they both felt it was time to go home.
With Wan Shi Tong's assistance, they transferred their boat back out to the desert and made their way to the Earth Kingdom's eastern shore, seeking passage from one of the colonies back to the Fire Nation.
Once there, they both went their separate ways ever so briefly. Iroh went to report to Ozai, to inform the Fire Lord that their journey was finished, and to privately discuss Cadence's capabilities...though he did not go into details as far as where Cadence learned to control her abilities, seeing fit to imply that she was merely naturally talented, aided by a few scrolls found in a library. It wasn't that Iroh wanted to deceive his brother in this regard. However, what Wan Shi Tong had said about one of his countrymen arriving a few months prior to them made him cautious of what knowledge of the Spirits he spread. Beyond that, he wasn't about to mention anything about the Order of the White Lotus. Once he was finished reporting to Ozai, Iroh sought out Master Piandao to discuss his visit to Wan Shi Tong's library.
Cadence, however, went to look for Zuko. She had liked him when they were here last, and she wanted to see how he'd grown in these past two years, and to show off what she'd learned.
She found Zuko sitting on a fountain, head hanging in sorrow. She decided to cheer him up the only way that she could think of. "Hi Zuko!" she called out, tackling him into the fountain.
Zuko let out a brief yelp before flailing around, then looking down at her. "Hey Cadence," he grumbled, trying to push himself out of the water. "That's sure to wash right out..."
Smiling, Cadence waved her wings, yanking the water out of her coat, Zuko's clothes and hair, and parting the water around them so they could climb out of the fountain dry. "Geeze, when did you become such a grumpy guss?" she asked playfully.
Zuko stared at the parted pool. "You...you can Waterbend?"
"And Firebend, and Earthbend, and Airbend!" Cadence proclaimed proudly as the got back out of the fountain. Letting the water resume its normal configuration, she used a bit of flame and a blast of air to dry them both off the rest of the way.
"That's amazing!" Zuko breathed happily. "Think you could teach me a few tricks?"
"Hmm...maybe," she allowed. "If you'll tell me why you were such a gloomy guss."
Zuko's face fell as he sighed. "Mai won't talk to me anymore," he said at last.
"Eh?" Cadence asked, confused. "Why not?"
"She's upset about our engagement," Zuko replied.
Cadence scratched her head. "I...I don't get it..."
"She's never liked that her life gets decided for her-"
"Oh!" Cadence gasped out. "An assignation..."
Zuko nodded. "Yup. And...I like her, I really do...but with things like this..."
Cadence frowned, wishing she could do something to help. She blinked in shock as she felt her horn glowing, and saw a half heart floating over Zuko's head, pulsing rhythmically. Glancing elsewhere, she found her vision swooping over the imperial compound until she saw Mai, sitting in a corner by herself, the other half of the heart pulsing in magic light over her head. As her magic faded, Cadence gasped happily, a plan in her mind. "So...the reason she isn't happy with you is the choice was taken away?" she asked.
"Pretty much," Zuko agreed.
"Then give her the choice back," Cadence instructed.
"I don't exactly have the-"
"Not like that," Cadence interrupted. "Propose."
"W-what?" Zuko gasped out, shocked.
"Give her a formal proposal," Cadence explained. "Make her a ring - or maybe a bracelet, since she'd outgrow a ring sized to her now - get her to meet you somewhere romantic where it's just the two of you - maybe with me acting as chaperone - and give her a formal proposal. Trust me, she'll love it."
Zuko scratched his chin. "Well...I suppose I have enough to pay the jeweler-"
"No, not buy. Make." Cadence smiled. "I'll get you the materials. We can swing by Master Piandao's and borrow his forge. I'll get the raw materials. Come on!" Seizing Zuko in her magic, she dragged him off, protesting mildly in confusion.
Two nights later, Mai was standing by the fountain as the anonymous letter had asked of her, wondering what it was all about.
"Oh, Mai!" Cadence called out as she and Zuko approached. "Fancy meeting you here. So good to see you."
"H-hey," Zuko greeted nervously.
"Your Highness," Mai greeted coldly, making Zuko wince.
Cadence smiled as she hopped up to the top of the fountain. "I was just going to practice some music," she stated, summoning up the water from the fountain, freezing some of it in intricate shapes as she then affixed crystals throughout it. "I hope you enjoy." Placing her hooves against the ice and crystal, she produced some rather lovely notes...ones that were recognizable far too quickly as a love song, making Mai raise an eyebrow.
Zuko swallowed, remembering Cadence's coaching - though why he was trusting the advice of a two year old pony, he wasn't sure - as he turned to face the girl beside him. "Mai...I know you're upset about the...assignation."
"Upset?" she asked coldly. "Why would I be upset? I've known for years my husband would be chosen for me. It's hardly news."
Zuko winced, having known something like that was coming. He rallied gamely. "I didn't want that choice taken from you...especially for us. So...as best I can...I'd like to give it back to you."
Mai raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.
Turning to face her, Zuko went down on one knee, holding out a black box, which he opened to reveal a somewhat misshapen gold bracelet with three diamonds embedded in the metal. "Mai...will you marry me?"
For a long time, the only sound was Cadence's music. After a time, Mai leaned over and examined the bracelet closely. "Not very good quality work," she muttered.
"I'm not so good with tools," Zuko admitted, shamefacedly.
Mai raised an eyebrow as she noticed the burn marks on Zuko's fingertips. "You made it yourself?"
"Just like I would have if we weren't the Prince and the daughter of a governor," Zuko replied. "If we were just...Zuko and Mai...and our choices were our own."
Mai stared at him for a while in silence, Cadence's song rising to a crescendo in the still moonlit air.
"So...will you marry me?" Zuko asked.
As the music reached its peak, Mai reached out and closed the box. "No," she replied firmly.
There was a crash as Cadence fell forward atop her ice and crystal instrument and into the fountain. "N-no?" Zuko asked in shock, feeling crushed.
Taking the box, Mai slipped it into her sleeve. "No," she replied. She waited just long enough for Zuko to sink into complete dejection before continuing, "But I might reconsider someday." She then walked off, though Cadence was able to notice that she had a soft smile on her face, and was blushing slightly in pleasure.
Behind a window of the Fire Palace, Ozai twitched the curtain shut, having seen enough. "It seems Zuko has a bit more steel in him than I had thought," he murmured. "Cadence seems to bring out a bit more spine in him than he normally has. I believe, as Iroh asked, it is indeed time to start initiating my eldest son in the ways of government."
Yes new chapter!
Oh me oh my, it seems the plot thickens, and in a most unexpected manner. Now that Ozai won't be priming solely Azula for Fire Lord status, I wonder how this will affect things? How very interesting...
Mai is evil! But in a good way
I'VE SEEN ENOUGH AVATAR TO KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING
Ouch! Denied!
I just had an Idea
FIRE LORD MI AMORE CADENZA
Very interesting chapter.
Mai is bad,
And that's good.
She will never be good,
And that's not bad.
She will always be the best that she can be.
6482202 that...
Is...
THE GREATEST IDEA EVER!!!!
6482202
...oh
6482202 She would replace the fire nation red everything with pink, mild blues, deep browns, and soothing yellows. Then she would make the altar the fire lord sits on produce matching flames. I welcome our new Fire Lord! May she reign eternally!
OOOOHHH BUUUURN
*ba dum tsss*
6482241 Your comment reminded me of There's Nopony I'd Rather Be Than Me... And I cried
Then the other side drops.
Uh, oh. This can only end in pain.
Does this mean that Cadence has Werner syndrome?
And here's where things start to go horribly wrong. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
6482297 GO SIT INTHE CORNER AND THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE CHOICES!!!!
This will not end well for Zuko, and possibly for Cadence too.
Theres the Fire Lord that we all know and hate!!!
At least there's Cadence there to help...her name does mean a rhythm....of voice...
ANYWAY!!! GREAT CHAPTER!!! I GOT THE CAPS LOCK STUCK!!!
That last paragraph...
I was wondering when the proverbial other shoe was going to drop. Interesting.
Mai is best nonbender.
6482297
6482438
Least Mai was... Crystal clear in her answer. It was shattering to say the least.
Well that plan sunk faster than the Titanic. It just... Crashed and burned.
I'd say their interaction was music to my ears... But others may day otherwise.
I'd say at the end of this that a new bond was... Forged.
But I have to ask dear author... Is the floating half heart above Zuko and Mai's heads a small reference to Hamtaro Ham Ham Heartbreak?
...
this. this...has promise. if done right.
time to put on my interesting story pants on and hope they don't explode.
6482759
No. It's meant to be a manifestation of Cadence's magic, seeing two hearts that go together.
6482790 Darn, quite a similar coincidence in that case. But just imagine the silly cutesy situation if ponies were the size of hamsters.
NEXT CHAPTER YAY
This chapter and all of the rest were perfect, didn't find any problems , the scenes were beautifully described and the dialog was perfect
Can't wait for the next chapter
Oh, how old is Zuko so I know how close we are to "the incident"
6482798 But what if the hamsters were the size of ponies? That'd be terrifying!
v017o.popscreen.com/eGhyNXM4MTI=_o_giant-hamster-attack.jpg
6482922 ...best I can tell?...maybe a year.
6482922
6482965
The "incident" is one year away.
6482977 yeah...I thought so.
so rather then one all element bending being after the fire lord now he well have too and one well already be skilled in everything...
doomed
6483025
I have something else in mind.
So Ozai now thinks Zuko is 'man enough' to be worth of any notice, possibly to the point of no longer treating him as 'Another man's son' like his bitch wife forced him to in his rage. Though in so doing will draw the notice of Azula, for now she'll believe he's being given a bone for once and is being trained as 'the spare', and in no way be of notice above her. Then he starts to excel, then surpass her, and in a fit of paranoia and anxiety, attack or challenge him to Agni Kai, and is instead forced to face her dad. OOH that'd be quite the twist, a banished princess, not a prince, in the hunt for the Avatar.
Oh boy...
Clever Iroh.
Ah emo Zuko, almost missa ya.
Yep. She can bend all 4 Elements.
Ah.
RIght.
Not, sure that's a word.
Hm, I wonder...
... That, might work. Also, ring rize, not ring sizeD.
Oh boy.
Hello Raven!
Come on buddy, don't screw this up.
When a guy proposes to you, he expects a yes or a no, usually a yes, NOT for you to critique the quality of the ring, which, mind you, HE MADE HIMSELF.
Yep.
Come on, say yes, say yes, say yes...
YOU EVIL LITTLE! I, YOU, well played Mai. Well played.
Oh boy...
6483542
"Assignation" is an arranged marriage.
And "sized" is accurate to that sentence, as it's referring to a ring that has been sized to her fingers, rather than her finger's ring size.
6483595
Huh, what do you know.
6482759
I'm torn. Zuko and Mai have great chemistry in this fic, but I like Jin. Ideally, I will suggest he ends up with both as wives and advisors. Mai has the noble perspective while Jin has the common folk view. Together they'd help him be a good ruler. Hopefully Cadence fixing his relationship with Mai will have given Zuko the guts to actually face his father in Agni Kai and prove his worth. And I'm gonna give a wild guess that Zuko might get his scar protecting Cadence from Azula if she decides the pony princess must be burned.
6482241 Nice!!!
Boom, awesome new chapter Tat, legit this was an awesome bit of work well done!
Haha!
Nice work... nice work.
6482482 The Fire Lord we all love to hate!
6484395 DON'T WE ALL?
What if the reason Ozai didn't kill Ursa was to torture her with the knowledge she'd never see her kids again. After all, she did have her face and her memory changed, which kind of supports the idea that said memories and knowledge were torturous to her. Ursa and Ozai were married for a number of years. He had to have known how everything would impact her. I'm not comfortable with the idea of a redeemable Ozai, though I'm probably one to talk. :/
6486755
Who says he's redeemable by this interpretation?
He's no less evil in his actions and behaviors...just a bit more human in his motives.
6482188 ... Educate me? Because I know next to nothing aside from a few things this fic has already said or shown.
6486763 I have trouble thinking of him as human. And he's really going to be evil? I kinda felt like you were going to give him the Voldemort in leather pants treatment. I'm glad you're not. That would have been *way* too much for my suspension of disbelief, and I like this fic.
6487221 piandao.org/screenshots/water/water1/water1-875.jpg
6487352
I'm just going to be giving a new perspective to his motivations.
Okay, what's the overarching conflict in this story? It's chapter 10 and I still can't see any conflict that took more than a single chapter to resolve.