Thankfully for the crew, Iroh's map included the location of a neutral retreat, where soldiers of any nation could rest and relax on the condition they did not bring the war with them. Those who worked at the retreat were somewhat shocked at the size of the group that arrived - they were used to tending individual generals, or at most a lone patrol, at a time - but they quickly rallied. The troops themselves, given permission to relax, quickly enjoyed their shore leave, making sport in the surf and sand and heading to the nearby town - out of uniform - to find some fun at the local bars.
Iroh and Zuko mostly remained within the retreat itself, keeping an eye on Cadence and helping her recover. Admittedly, Iroh did avail himself of the massage service, and convinced Zuko to make use of similar services as well. Cadence attempted to as well, but none of the attendants knew enough about equine physiology to give her a proper massage. The first attempt had resulted in...a rather shocking experience for the masseuse, to say the least. After that, Cadence settled for the relaxing baths and hot rock massages.
"So," Iroh asked Zuko at one point, "how long do you intend to let the men relax?"
"Until they get restless," Zuko replied easily, laying back in a hammock, a large hat over his eyes. "Until then, they're still trying to forget what happened up North. Once they get restless, I know they'll be ready for action again."
Iroh nodded. "And...if Cadence isn't ready to continue at that point?"
"Then we'll go slow," Zuko explained. "Take our time. Walk back to the western shores to get a ship back to the Fire Nation. That's our eventual goal, anyway. We'll have to report to Father in person about what happened. And we'll need to be careful, anyway. We're deep in enemy territory."
"Then we will be careful," Iroh agreed. "With luck, upon our return, my brother will have different tasks for us both. I do not think I am cut out for racing about the world anymore."
Zuko frowned thoughtfully. "I still haven't captured the Avatar," he pointed out. "Father said I had to do that, to prove myself. I still need to bring Aang back to the Fire Nation."
"Let's not think about that just now," Iroh offered. "We faced down a Deep One attacking our fleet, and you kept your head! Surely, if nothing else, that proves what a capable man and leader you are." He chuckled. "I am not ashamed to admit that the first thing I needed after we made landfall was fresh trousers."
"...that thing still haunts my nightmares," Zuko admitted, shame tinging his voice.
"While I am not surprised, had you not admitted it I would never have known," Iroh praised. "The measure of a man and leader is not how little he fears, but how he handles those fears he has. And you, nephew...you have shown to handle your fears exceptionally well."
Zuko managed a smile, pleased at his uncle's praise. They lay back in silence as Cadence stirred in her own hammock.
"So...how long until something happens to throw our plans straight out the window?" Iroh asked idly.
"I'd give it a week, two tops," Zuko replied calmly.
A week and a half later, Zuko was unsurprised to find Iroh coming back from taking Cadence to the beach. "Look at these magnificent shells Cadence found!" Iroh proclaimed happily, pouring out a satchel of seashells in all sorts of shapes and sizes. "We will cherish these keepsakes for years to come."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "And who's going to carry them?" he asked. "We don't have a ship anymore, or any beasts of burden, and we'll be weighed down with supplies as is."
Iroh scratched his chin. "Umm..."
Cadence couldn't help but giggle at his expression, but the giggle cut off as she felt something in the air, and spun to face a shadowed corner of the room.
"I'm sure there will be room in my ship's cargo hold for your...knickknacks," Azula said calmly as she leaned forward. "Hello, Brother...Uncle...Cousin."
Zuko stiffened as he saw his sister, dressed in a military uniform. "Sister," he greeted calmly, keeping himself under control. "What brings you here?"
Azula frowned slightly before standing. "Father sent me to give you and your men a lift home," she replied calmly. "He's heard about what happened to Admiral Zhao's fleet...but all he has are rumors and second hand accounts. He was overjoyed to learn that you and your crew escaped, but he needs your first hand account of what happened...and he wants to hear it with his own ears."
Zuko closed his eyes, mulling the news over. While it was expected, the fact that it was Azula delivering the news made him naturally suspicious. However, beyond his own suspicion of Azula, he had no reason to doubt the news. Still... "Our men are currently on leave, recuperating from the events," he explained calmly. "It will take all of today to gather them, as well as our supplies. We'll meet you at the docks tomorrow."
Azula smiled. "It will be good to have you home again, Zuzu."
Zuko flinched visibly as she left, gritting his teeth as he got himself under control. He hated that nickname.
Once Azula was down the road a ways, Cadence couldn't help but giggle. "Zuzu?" she gasped out, her eyes delighted as she looked up at her cousin.
Zuko couldn't stop the smirk that came to his face. Maybe he just hated when Azula called him that.
"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Iroh asked.
"About Father's intentions? Yes," Zuko confirmed. "Do I trust her to not try to stab us in the back? Not for a minute."
Azula, I'd say kill it with fire, but she'd just bend it back.
Acid maybe?
FIRST
Probably should try to use lightning now...it was stated that Azula doesn't know how to deflect it.
I cannot WAIT to see how this blows up in her face. Personally, I'm betting it's because of Cadence.
Azula is probably one of my favorite villains ever.
6650514 She's very athletic, so she'd have a good chance of simply dodging the lightning and bending more lightning or fire.
Azula is the kind of villan you never turn your back on, not even for a second. Because that's when she turns around and stabs you with a knife.
6650574 No, she makes you THINK she's gonna stab you in the back, then when you look behind she stabs you in the front.
Azula's on the prowl... F***
6650482 well, I doubt they can bend Lasers... No wait! Kill her with OIL
Wonder how the troops are going to react.
6650615 Dis you see the last episode of extra history's admiral Yi saga?
Time for Cadence to ship Azula with a cute boy do she will be distracted. Or maybe ship with happy circus girl?
6650594 You have an evil mind, I like you
Well Awesome chapter, Not often that I comment but so far the story has been better than expected!
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
6650638 Watched the entire thing. The word "may" has alot of importance in that last little statement.
Wise words Zuko. I wouldn't trust Azula with a 10 foot cattle prod.
Good strategy. I hope when she tries something that Cadence tosses her out of the room.
6650587 That's why you always have family/friends to watch your back for you.
6650845
I wouldn't touch you with a
*bum bum*
thirty-nine and a half foot poooooooooole~
6650878 Indeed. I love that song. Thurl Ravenscroft at his best.
Whoa man...This is gonna get hairy.
Woo! Can't wait to see Zuko kock Azula's *extended bleeping sound due to a majority of curses thrown* pale butt! If not Zuko, then Cadence will.
6650594 no, no, you need to know what affects one person most, not humans in general. Shove her in a room of kittens, rainbows an my little pony toys. Boom. Personalised torture.
6651040 No, for Azula, it'd be a small fireproof room, full of awards and titles that Zuko earned, proving he was better than her.
If we're going for torture.
I can't wait to read the next chapter. While Cadence may seem a little Mary-Sueish, when you've watched the show like I have, you understand that this course is the most plausible and reasonable.
6651083 And a photo album of Ozai and Zuko having fun together, Zuko earning said trophies, and finally, a photo of the day Zuko was crowned as Fire Lord.
6651123 Or have her bending taken, likeOzai's was at the end of the series.
Losing that power would drive the bitch crazy, possibly to the point of suicide.
6651136
6651123
it is rather unfortunate, your supposed to burn witches, but how do you burn a witch that bends fire?
6651152 Plasma. Not technically fire.
6651172
Someday, you'll look back on this upvote and...
6651174 Be proud? Laugh my ass off? Realize I nailed her situation of demise on the head?
Make a run for it
6651172 She can bend plasma. Lightning=Form of plasma
6650675
I have my moments
6651123
don't forget moments with their mother.
6651287 Wrong. Lightning is electricity. the heat that it causes when travelling through the air CREATES plasma.
6651136 personally I'd love to see her get hit with a lovebutt super love beam of loveliness! Imagine azula the biggest bitch in the show turned all Disney princess. Singing and frolicking with cute woodland creatures. For azula the only way to make it worse would to leave a teeny tiny bit of the old her alive in her subconscious where she can't do shit but watch in horror as Azula 2.0 spoon feeds baby bunnybadgers while reading to tiny adorable orphans.
Almost read that as Decepticon.
I, see.
Clever Zuko.
I do like how smart Zuko's being.
You're not that old, you're pretty fat, yes, but you can work on that.
He makes a very good point.
Not surprised, that this WAS basically an Eldritch Abomination.
Probably.
Zuko plays the Good Point game well.
Azula. I'd say kill it with fire, but, as cyberlord4444 pointed out, that wouldn't work out very well.
Really?
Be that as it may, you try being very close to a Deep One and seeing it rip apart dozens of ships with ease and not be traumatized.
Prolly.
You're right, heck, the Spy from TF2 whose whole JOB consists of literally stabbing people in the back is more trustworthy than her, at least if he's on your team you won't get backstabbed by him.
6651315
Lightning is not just the electricity being discharged, it is the entire phenomenon. Since plasma is essentially ionized gas, and the electricity in lightning ionizes the gas around it, lightning is a plasma.
The flames of a fire are also plasma, although at normal fire temperatures it's a fairly weak plasma. Extreme temperatures produce a proper plasma, but even the flame of a candle can be affected by electric fields:
askamathematician.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/candle_flame_plasma_in_E-field_450x337.jpg
Since basic flames are a plasma, all fire benders can bend plasma.
HEEHEEHEE... Zuzu xD hahahaha, funny funny funny, nicely done man, nicely done!
6651648 That's trippy...
She does have that effect on people.
6650643
That probably wouldn't work. Azula shows all the indicators of a high-functioning sociopath, meaning she doesn't actually care about anyone that isn't herself or anything that isn't her goals.
That's why Cadance is so scared of her: she literally has no love in her heart.
6651152
Well normal witches don't drown (that's how you can tell they're witches), but burn quite nicely. Therefor, it stands to reason that if she can't be burned, then the best way to be rid of her is an extended stay at the bottom of a lake.
But not Lake Laogia. She'd just end up taking over the place.
6651308 As can I, the final touch, a looped recording of all the times Ozai praised Zuko.
6651917 Or mayhaps just this one tiny miniscule microscopic sliver of a chance that she actually had feelings for Zhao? Admiration? Definitely some. Love? Hard to say. Yet.
Good to see that Cadance is managing to get out of her shell after being washed ashore for so long. Though with Azula now coming back into the picture, things are going to heat up and its going to be a real rocky road.
6652186
Too bad Zhao went down with the armada.
I wonder if he still somehow wound up in the Fog of Lost Souls like he apparently did in the original canon. Maybe the Kraken can bypass the seal on the Spirit Portal like Aang's Avatar Mode spirit-koi-monster-thing apparently did.
Of course, it is entirely possible that Aang only did that so he wouldn't have to kill Zhao (a very strong personal taboo of his), while the Kraken would have been perfectly willing to just said "F it, I'm still hungry." and CRUNCH! No more Zhao.
6651315 6651648 An interesting theory to debate.
6652269 I find that thought pleasing.
6651917 Depends on if Tatsurou wants to have her be her one dimensional self, or more realistic. No mental condition is so simple in real life.
6651917 That's not entirely true. When Azula goes on vacation with Zuko, we DO see a slightly softer side. I mean she laments that her Mother hated her because she was a monster. "She (mother) was right of course. It still hurts though", or something along those lines.
So perhaps if her Mother had reached out to her, Azula may never have gotten quite so....disturbed.
6651648 Thacks for the backup.
6652269
Actually, the Ocean spirit took Zhao after separating from Aang. In canon, anyway.
6651648 Basic flames may be plasma, but its also a VERY weak, VERY low temperature version. And who's to say that they control flames via magnetic fields? The plasma I'm talking about is stuff like the sun is made up of, Millions of times hotter than any flame, and completely uncontrollable, save by gravity and magnetic fields. Plus there are things that would normally be bendable, that cannot be bent because they are simply too powerful for the bender attempting it.
You should have put three more words into the last chapter before you posted it... The word count would have been so perfect...
I can trust Azula as far as I can throw an elephant.