Three men from Azula's group stood together at the railing of the ship. Viteq stood in the middle, with the old general on his left and the returned Prince on his right. Zuko has been avoiding his uncle, but was fine standing close to him if somebody else was nearby. Suki was milling a short distance away. She avoided most people from the Fire Nation, but followed the Prince like his shadow. Viteq didn't tell her to stop and the Prince either didn't notice her or ignored her.
"Ah, the smells of the ocean, it's so refreshing, isn't it? How does it feel to be sent out to another little voyage after only a few days with your father."
Zuko grit his teeth, unable to answer. The general decided to elaborate on what was happening.
"My brother is probably planning the future strategies and doesn't want to have the hassle of his children around him."
The waterbender clapped Zuko's back while smiling.
"Eh, you were sent away after seeing your father for the first time in years. Do you feel loved and appreciated?"
The Prince threw the hand off his back. Viteq chuckled at his reaction, it was funny to rile up the younger man.
"Hey, Zuko, did you by any chance hire an assassin to track down the Avatar and kill him?"
The Prince turned to the waterbender, his face confused.
"Why would I do that? He is already dead."
Viteq blinked and paused to think for a short moment. He snapped his fingers as he realized what happened.
"Ah, right. You didn't know that I succeeded in saving the Avatar from your sister's lightning. Or that they have a magical healing water they could use if he really was hurt. I forgot you didn't have a heart to heart with Katara."
The old man just raised his eyebrows in surprise, while the Prince got agitated.
"What?! We must inform my father immediately. He has to know about this!"
Viteq sneered at his reaction.
"Oh yes, because the Firelord will reward you handsomely for telling him you and your sister lied to him? I mean, he already rewarded you so generously, giving you what was meant for your sister and nothing more. He will be so happy to hear that his enemy is alive and well and that you failed in your task."
"But that's treason! We have to tell him the truth!"
"Oh, and it's not like you and your uncle have been wanted for treason before. I mean your uncle is still here because his niece wanted him here, but he would otherwise be locked up in a cell. The only difference in treatment the two of you got is that you got to meet your father, which only happened because he thought you helped kill the Avatar. Did it give you what you wanted? Do you feel accepted and loved?"
The prince shook in anger and kicked the railing of the ship. He knew that Viteq didn't lie, Zuko felt that all he had done was for naught, his father didn't show him any kindness or affection in the meeting.
"Of course you can go tell your father that you came back and were rewarded based on a lie. I am sure he will be fair and forgive you and your sister for such a slight."
"But we didn't lie, we didn't know Avatar was alive. You never told us."
"Nobody asked. You all just assumed that Azula got him, when it was me who was hurt and miraculously survived."
"You really are a viperscorpion you spit poison and turn us against one another."
"The difference between poison and medicine is the dosage, all I say is the truth. Are you ready to admit it yet? Your father is not the man you thought he was. There were other people who loved you regardless of your standing or your behavior. Perhaps you are on the wrong side of this conflict."
The Prince stepped back as if slapped. He never before allowed himself to think he was on the wrong side. But lately, when thinking about his family, about who he was closer to, he felt that his father was not the kind and loving man he wanted him to be. In the last meeting, he was dignified, commanding and domineering. But those are not qualities of a father meeting his child after a long absence.
General Iroh stepped from behind Viteq, stood in front of Zuko and spoke to him clearly.
"Sozin, our ancestor, threw this world off balance and started a war for his own ambition. This world has been off balance for a hundred years. Viteq is fighting to bring the balance back, Avatar is fighting to bring it back, I am fighting to achieve that balance. Perhaps it is time you reevaluated what you are fighting for? Victory of the Fire Nation is important to the select few, the Balance of our world is important for everybody."
The old general came to his nephew and clasped his shoulder, trying to impart as much support and warmth through the contact.
The prince looked at his uncle, lost and confused.
"I don't know. I don't know what to think anymore."
"It's ok, having doubt and feeling lost is normal. No matter what you think of us, we will be with you and support you. We are your family." He glanced at the waterbender who nodded along with a sage expression and chuckled at him. "And friends. Sometimes friends have to say harsh things to make us see the bitter truth."
Zuko looked at his uncle, unsure of how to act, he didn't feel he deserved to have his support after how he behaved.
Viteq decided to speak up.
"And, if you are looking for redemption, you can always seek out the Avatar. He does need a firebending teacher. I am sure if you help him on his mission, you will do a lot of good for this world."
The Prince turned to the waterbender. He scrutinized the older teen and felt that while mocking and irritating, he wasn't overly hostile. He was like a friendlier version of Azula.
Viteq shuddered for no reason, he looked around confused.
"Viteq! It's time!"
He turned to see the Princess walking onto the deck of the ship.
"What is the time for?"
"We haven't done it in the capital, but now we can do it again!"
Viteq leered at the Princess.
"You know we did it, multiple times. I even managed to get you to let out your voice in the end."
Zuko looked at the two confused, not quite getting it. General Iroh turned away, hiding his reaction. The Princess turned red and hissed at him. She didn't feel particularly embarrassed, but she didn't want anybody to know how her man controlled her and dominated her, that was a bit of knowledge she would not let anybody to learn.
"Not that, you fool! I meant bending lightning! We haven't done that in the city because there were too many people around and it's too destructive. I want to throw around some blood lightning."
The two other men turned to regard the waterbender. He smiled and walked towards the bow of the ship, gesturing for the group to follow. He spoke to them as they walked.
"I managed to make a breakthrough in my bending, thanks to Azula." The girl looked smug at the praise. "I always tried using my knowledge of the physical world to bend, but bending is not entirely physical, it has a lot to do with concept and spirituality. The lightning the firebenders produce is spiritual in nature. So, I thought about it and realised that I should try using the esoteric nature of bending."
He brought his hands together and a light blue light shone between them. The air turned cold and frost formed around the waterbender. He ignored what was happening and held a blue shiring gem out to show it to the others. It floated above his palm, hovering in the air.
"If you think about it, cold isn't a real thing in the real world, it's simply the absence of heat. You can't make something colder than the absolute zero. But it's a real concept and could be used. If I apply it to freeze something beyond the absolute zero, I create heat debt. It's still extremely cold at absolute zero, but it can't get any colder. However, on the spiritual level there is heat debt that must be paid off before it disappears. Thus, we have this."
The blue gem had mist form around it and everything around it was turning colder. The waterbender didn't seem to mind it, but to the others it felt extremely cold. Viteq moved it around, never touching it directly. After he showed it to everyone he chucked it overboard, where it dropped into water and formed ice around it. It started to grow slowly.
General Iroh looked at it, surprised at what he was seeing. He gestured to it as he addressed Viteq.
"Is it safe to just leave it like that?"
The waterbender just waved it away as unimportant.
"Eh, once the debt is fulfilled, it should be fine. I didn't put too much in there. But what I was leading to is this."
He held his hands apart and made water move towards them. The water turned to fog which gathered around each palm into an amorphous blob. It was impossible to see through the frosty mist as it swirled around the palm. For a few seconds, nothing happened before sparks of white lightning began to shoot out of each tiny cloud. After a few moments, the lightning began to arc from one hand to the other, illuminating Viteq and everything nearby. He laughed maniacally as he held his arms apart, making large arcs of lightning move through the air.
"This is real lightning made with magical means. This is my lightning bending, the real deal!"
He raised his arms above his head and laughed loudly as the lightning arced upwards from his hands, the white glowing lines appearing for a moment before being replaced with the next one with loud buzzing,
"UNLIMITED POWER!"
He held it like that for a minute, before dialing it down. He dispersed the fog and shook what little water gathered on his hands. He turned to the others and smiled at their stunned looks.
"Pretty cool, eh?"
General Iroh shook his head in disbelief.
"Once again you did something impossible, first you make Azula behave like a girl, now you copy our most prized and secret art. What's next, are you going to become the FIrelord and and take over our nation?"
The Princess swatted at her uncle angrily, but he ignored it. Viteq waved away the ridiculous idea the older man spoke aloud.
"Don't be ridiculous, that would be too much work. I like exactly where I am right now."
The Princess turned to the waterbender and looked like a lost puppy, her expression looked so out of place on her, it was ridiculous.
"So, you don't need me to bend lightning with you?"
He offered his hand and she approached and took it.
"I don't need it, but it doesn't mean we can't have fun. Besides, with my improved understanding, there are new tricks I can do now."
Azula felt Viteq's bending settle over her and take hold of her bending. She felt something travel along her own power to the sea below. The waterbender raised his hand and a large lightning bolt shot out of it towards the spot Azula felt just a moment ago.
"My range is worse than Azula's so by using her bending, I can reach water from further away and use that to create lightning."
Viteq moved to hug Azula from behind and she felt him take tighter grasp on her bending. He guided her to spread her arms wide and to point towards the sea. The energy inside her swirled like it usually did when she wanted to create lightning. Small arcs shot out of her palms at nothing, fading after they flew a few meters.
"I understand how your bending works now, including how to control lightning better."
Then, their energies mixed together and Azula felt the new mixed energy separate and crash together to create blood lightning. It shot out her hands in a long, continuous stream instead of a single shot, creating sinister looking blood red veins floating and twitching in the air.
When they stopped, Viteq didn't seem exhausted, and instead smiled down at the Princess who smiled back happily. She didn't seem like the usual angry girl she was, instead looking flushed and excited. She licked her lips and stood on her toes and Viteq obliged her and bent down for a kiss. It was a chaste kiss with their lips touching.
The old man rolled his eyes and looked away. Zuko looked at the two kiss and shook his head angrily.
"I can't believe you two, this is ridiculous."
Viteq disengaged and smiled smugly at the Prince.
"Oh, don't be jealous. If you kowtow to me and call me brother-in-law, I will teach you my secrets."
Zuko hissed angrily at the older teen.
"Not what I meant! Forget it!"
He turned and stormed off, walking below the deck.
The old general shook his head.
"I don't think he talked about bending when he spoke."
Viteq shrugged dismissively.
"If he wants, I can offer him advice on how to talk to women. I have quite the experience."
He gestured towards the Princess, who happily hugged him and seemed lost to the world. General Iroh hummed before speaking.
"You know, I was a ladies man back in my days as well. I could offer a few pointers too."
The waterbender smiled toothily at the older man.
"Man, you are so old, spirits were still walking the physical world and lion turtles were everywhere when you were young. I doubt your advice would be relevant now."
The old firebender shook his finger at the young man.
"Don't disregard the words of the older generation. We have much wisdom to offer."
"Sure, old man, sure."