Chapter 5: Taming fire
After Trunks' rough fight against Zuko, he realised he'd need a master to use his new fire power. Hence, Trunks had left Kyoshi, entering deeper into occupied earth kingdom territory via boat. After days of travel, he'd come across a small fire nation village. "Maybe I can find a master here", he hoped. An aroma of food tantalised his nose, and his stomach roared. "And some food would be nice too".
Entering the village, he learnt that they were having a festival of some sort, one of many apparently. It wasn't long before he came across a stall, they were selling flaming hogfish, which he bought with the few coins the Kyoshi warriors gave him. The fish was spicy, having a smoky flavour and a hint of, what he thought was, paprika. He'd scared down the food at a frightening pace, gaining him a number of glares. He wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his brown, hooded, tunic which he'd been given on Kyoshi, after his other one was burned. As he walked around, a poster caught his eye.
JEONG-JEONG THE DESERTER. WANTED FOR TREASON AGAINST THE FIRE NATION.
Trunks stared at the wanted sign. "Maybe I've just found a master!". He opened up his senses, after a bit of practice he was now able to differentiate between the energies of different benders, though his senses were still duller with his new powers. He scanned the surrounding areas around the village, mostly sensing non-benders. He pushed his senses as far as they could go, and right at the edge, he sensed a Firebender. "Bingo."
He rushed through the foliage towards the energy signature, slashing through some vines with his sword. As he neared the energy, he noticed others converging on him. Suddenly, 4 men leapt down from the canopy, pointing spears at Trunks. "State your purpose".
Trunks calmly looked the man in the eye. "I'm here to see Jeong-jeong", he answered, truthfully. The man peered inti Trunks' eyes, finding no deceit, and lowering his weapon.
"Follow". The man led Trunks to a camp of sorts, pointing to a hut near the river, indicating it as Jeong-Jeong's.
"Thanks, he said. Trunks entered the hut, finding it dark and gloomy, lit up dimly by candles. Sitting behind the candles, next to a dead tree, was an old man with wild white hair. Trunks approached, sitting in front of the candles.
"What is it you want from me?", Jeong-Jeong asked.
"To learn Firebending", Trunks responded. Jeong-Jeong turned to look at Trunks, his face locked in permanent scowling. He examined the half saiyan intently, as though examining his soul.
"Hmm, yes, you are a disciplined man. Where do you come from? Your features are not that of fire nation".
Trunks mulled over telling the man the Truth, he didn't want to, but something told him the man would see through any lie he told. "My tale is not the most believable", he explained.
"Continue", the master insisted. Thus, Trunks explained his long story, his journey to the past, his battle with foes, and his arrival in this world.
"I hope you don't think that I'm crazy", Trunks nervously laughed.
"I believe you, your eyes tell the truth". Jeong-Jeong stood up, and exited the tent, as Trunks followed. He stood, staring at the evening sun in sombre thought. "Trunks, do you see the sun? It is the greatest of fire, yet it is at balance with nature. You must be like this, measured, controlled, lest your flames burn all that you love".
Trunks nodded. "I understand".
"Good. Now widen your stance". Trunks obliged, spreading out his feet in a squat like position. "Now, breathe. The breath is the source of fires power". The half saiyan breathed in deep, his enlarged saiyan lungs taking in the fresh forest air, before slowly breathing out. Jeong-Jeong walked away, leaving Trunks to breathe and contemplate.
2 hours later, Jeong-Jeong returned, finding Trunks on the same spot, breathing. He smiled, impressed. "OK, now I want you to try fire control", he said, as he set fire to a leaf on the floor. "Do not allow the flame to grow". Trunks held his hand toward the flame, focusing on the heat, willing it to stagnate. The fire continued to burn, but did not spread, as Trunks controlled it perfectly.
"I can feel you trying to make it grow, Master Jeong-Jeong.", Trunks smirked. The old man gave a light smile back.
"He's a prodigy, maybe even greater than I", He thought. "A quick learner you are, let us advance then. I want you to great a flame of your own, as large as you can, without losing control". Trunks nodded once again. He cupped his hands, breathing deep, concentrating on the heat between his palms. Rapidly, a huge flame grew, burning in a pure white. It raged up, doubling Trunks' height, but he remained in full control.
"Uhm, Master, is it meant to be white?"
Jeong-Jeong was internally gobsmacked. White flames had never been seen, and the heat from it was intense like the blazing sun. "Trunks", Jeong-Jeong began. "You are a Firebending prodigy".
A week went by quickly, as Trunks absorbed and mastered Jeong-Jeong's lessons in rapid succession. By the end of the week, Trunks was sparring with the master. The deserter praised the half saiyan's power, admitting that it was only his years of experience that allowed him to best Trunks.
Trunks launched a stream of white-hot flames at Jeong-Jeong, who sliced through with a thin fire blade, and retaliated with a fire bomb. To cushion the blast, he raised a wall of fire, however failed to notice that the master had launched a pincer attack past his shield. Trunks spun his arms, taking control of the flames, redirecting them back at Jeong-Jeong, who blocked them in his palms.
"Good!" Your skill is growing exponentially", The master praised.
"Thank you, master", Trunks replied, bowing. "How long till I can learn your vanishing trick".
"Unfortunately, that is my secret". Trunks laughed, as he put back on his tunic. "How has your attempts at regaining your old abilities been?"
He sighed. "Not too well, my sensing has gotten better, and I can kind of fly using Firebending now". Trunks had hoped that he could gain some of his old powers back, but it seemed his new powers had blocked them. He knew he could use them; he just didn't know how to bring them out.
"That's progress, but nowhere near the power you have told me of, hopefully soon you will figure it out" Jeong-Jeong headed back into his tent to meditate, and Trunks headed into the town to buy some supplies.
The village had calmed down since the festival, though he'd heard a few talks of another one in two weeks or so. Heading into a store, Trunks looked around, he needed some new gear, sparring had worn his current clothes out. "Excuse me miss, how much are those boots and pants?", he asked the keeper.
"5 pieces, dear", she hummed. Trunks placed 5 pieces on the desk, he'd made a little bit of money from selling the fish he caught. "Here you go, you can change in there if you like".
"Thank you, ma'am". He entered the changing room, putting on the boots and pants, which were both black, with some Bronze trimmings on the boots. "Nice". He left the store, and picked up some more groceries, then heading back.
Another week passed, Trunks now being able to occasionally get the better of Jeong-Jeong, and had drawn grown adept enough with his new energy to use some old techniques.
Trunks threw rapid fire blasts at Jeong-Jeong, who just barely parried them and launched a flame whip himself. Generating a fire dagger, he sliced the whip, before jumping up into the air, the sun behind him.
He held his hands to his face, fingers spread with his palm inward. "SOLAR FLARE", he shouted out Tien Shinhan's signature attack. Jeong-Jeong was blinded by the bright flash that emanated from the half saiyan, who took the chance to trap his master in a ring of fire. "I guess I win"
Jeong-Jeong, now able to see again, smiled. "Indeed, you have", he said. "What was that blinding move you used?"
"Unfortunately, that is my secret", Trunks smirked. "My training seems to have given me enough control over my new energy, that I can use some of the old techniques.
"That's good to hear. Additionally, I have news for you."
"Oh, what is it, Master?"
"As of today, I won't train you", he declared.
"What?! Why?", Trunks said, confused.
"You have learned all that I can teach you. From here on, you must develop your own skills, and hone your style. Not to mention, there is a power in you that I cannot help you tap into" Trunks looked down, slightly saddened, but understood his Master's decision, bossing to him.
"But Master, I have been slowly tapping into my old power?"
Jeong-Jeong turned and opened his tent. "That's not what I'm referring to", he said, walking in.
Trunks thought over what his master said, confused. Nonetheless, he continued his training, now learning how to combine Firebending with his sword. He channelled his bending into his sword, heating it up till it was red around the blades edge. Swinging the sword, it released thin streams of fire, cutting through trees, without starting a fire. "Maybe I should start training in the gravity room again?", he thought.
A few weeks later, Trunks decided to go hunting, since he needed some produce to sell and eat. He waited in the bushes, eyeing a large bear as it looked around. With a quick slice of his arm, Trunks slashed the creature's neck with a streak of fire, killing it as efficiently as possible. Using his sword, he skinned and gutted the animal, cooking a bit of the meat for a taste as well. "Needs salt", he noted.
Carrying the meat back to camp, he noticed a familiar energy. "No, it can't be! Can it?". He broke into a sprint, getting back in under two minutes. The moment he walked in, he found Katara and Sokka, standing by the river. "Katara, Sokka, hey!", he waved.
The two of them jumped, not expecting the holler. When they turned, they realised who was calling them. "Trunks!", both of them shouted, running and hugging him.
"Where the heck did you go! We came back for you, but you weren't there!", Sokka scolded.
"Sorry guys, I needed to find a Firebending teacher", he said, feeling slightly bad.
"Yeah that was quite the revelation", Katara chipped in. "Is that what you were going to show me back on the island?".
"Yeah, it's what I have to use instead of my powers". Trunks looked around, wondering where Aang was.
"Oh yeah, we're here to ask Jeong-Jeong to teach Aang; he's in the tent", Katara explained. Just then, Aang and Jeong-Jeong walked out, Aang being told to take stance and breathe. However, Aang noticing Trunks, broke concentration.
"Trunks! What are you doi-", Aang tried to say.
"Did I tell you to stop concentrating!", The master scolded Aang.
"Sorry."
Trunks, Katara, and Sokka, all giggled, getting angry looks from Aang. "So, Katara", Trunks started. "I sense you've gotten stronger; did you find a master?"
"No.", she sighed. "I've just been learning off of a scroll, until we get to the North Pole that is".
"Oh right.". Then it dawned on him. "Wait! Aang hasn't learnt water bending yet?"
"No", Katara replied, confused.
"Damn. He's going to struggle with Firebending then. Without the flexibility of water, or the sturdiness of earth, it'll be hard to control a fire. That's what Master Jeong-Jeong told me anyway"
"I'm sure it'll be fine, what could go wrong?".
Trunks decided he'd leave it to Jeong-Jeong, for now he'd have some fun. "Hey Sokka, want some fresh meat?", he shouted.
Sokka's head instantly perked up at the mention of meat. "Would I?", he asked sarcastically. "of course, I do". At that, Trunks threw a slab of meat at him. While it was airborne, Trunks lifted a palm, launching a torrent of flames, perfectly cooking the meat.
"Whoa", Sokka yelped. "Hot! Hot!", he said, as the meat fell in his hands.
"Wow! You've really gotten good!", Katara noted. "In only 5 weeks too!".
"Yeah, Jeong-Jeong is a good teacher. Plus, Firebending is actually a lot like my old powers, so it was easy to catch on really. Actually, I've managed to get some of my old powers back"
"That's amazing!"
"You know what's really great", Sokka butted in. "This meat!".
"Anyway, I'll be back in a few guys, I need to go sell this meat, we'll chat when I'm back"
Whilst in the village, Trunks heard some murmurs about an 'Admiral Zhao'. He didn't really pay much attention to it; he was in a rush to get back to camp. He sold his meat, getting a dozen silver coins for it, and headed back. As he drew near, he heard Aang getting frustrated.
"Ugh, all he dies is leave me to concentrate and breathe", Aang moaned.
"I'm sure there's a good reason", Katara supposed.
"But I'm ready for so much more". Aang then had an idea, he held the leaf in his left hand, and pumped his right. The flame spread, engulfing the leaf. "Look Katara, I'm doing it", Aang said, haphazardly juggling the flame.
"Aang you should really be careful with that".
"It's cool". He messed around with the flame for a while. "I wonder how that juggler did it", he said. Suddenly, he compressed the ball, and then spread it rapidly in a spinning ring, marvelling at the fire. Trunks entered just as he did.
"Aang No! Katara!", he screamed, trying to contain the flame wheel, as it burned Katara's hands.
"Katara! I'm so sorry", Aang shouted. Katara clutched her hands, they were badly burned.
"Get away from her!", Sokka screamed, tackling Aang. "We told you not to mess with this, and look what you did. You burned my sister!". As katara got up and ran away, Jeong-Jeong came back. "This is all your fault", Sokka pointed at the old master.
"I know. You must all leave!", Jeong-Jeong commanded. "Pack your things, you as well Trunks". Before Trunks could ask the issue, Jeong-Jeong had hurried after Katara.
Trunks looked at Aang. "I know it was an accident Aang, but you need to be careful. Don't worry, I have medicine", he said, trying to cheer the kid up. However, Aang simply walked silently into Jeong-Jeong's hut. "Poor kid". Trunks went back to his hut, grabbing his senzu capsule, and taking out the bag.
When he found Katara, her hands were already healed, and she was running back. "Hey, you OK?", he asked.
"Yeah, I'm OK, but we're under attack by Zhao.", she explained. "Jeong-Jeong's gone to fight".
Immediately, Trunks sensed out the old master, running over to him. He found his Master confronted by, Zhao.
"Look at you, you were once so great", Zhao spat. "Can't believe my master is nothing but a simple savage."
"It is you who have embraced savagery, Zhao!", Jeong-Jeong refuted.
"Admiral Zhao, actually."
"Titles won't help you against the Avatar, and my successor."
"successor?"
"He means me", Trunks said, stepping out. Without hesitation, Trunks launched a whip of fire.
Zhao jumped back in shock. "Men, get the deserter!". The men moved in, but Jeong-Jeong used his fire as cover to disappear.
Trunks laughed. "Still won't teach me that". From behind him, Aang came running.
"Oh, is it my lucky day? I get to take the Avatar, and kill Jeong-Jeong's successor", Zhao mocked.
Trunks unsheathed his sword, and Aang readied his staff. "Aang, you take the soldiers. I'll get Zhao". Aang nodded, running towards the group of six soldiers. "So Zhao, was it? Let's see what you've got".
Zhao growled in anger, generating fire in his palms. "Burn!", he screamed, spraying fire wildly. Trunks deflected with his sword, watching Zhao burn everything around him. The man tried again, throwing fire bombs rapidly, aiming for Trunks' head, though Trunks blocked via a fire wall. "You're weak, just like that old mad man!". Trunks retaliated, kicking waves of flame at the Admiral, looking to take out an arm. Zhao blocked with his forearm, searing his armour and clothes.
"Master was right, this guy's a complete loose cannon. I'll have to take him out quick". Using his sword, Trunks fired a thin stream of fire forcing Zhao to jump. While he was in the air, Trunks slid under, kicking him higher, as he prepared his modified signature attack. He took a deep breath, raised his hands while amassing energy, and fired. "BURNING ATTACK". A pillar of white-hot fire spewed from his palms, engulfing Zhao completely.
Zhao felt the heat of the attack as it assaulted his flesh and burned his hair. He landed, crumpled, on the floor, his metal armour glowing hot red. "What are you!", Zhao shouted in fear and anguish. He'd never seen someone so powerful.
Trunks walked over to the defeated admiral, looking him dead in the eyes. "Your nightmare.". The half saiyan held his blade to Zhao's face, the edge mere inches away. "Any last words?".
"let me go! I'll give you anything! Power, money, status, just name it! Please!"
"Wrong answer". Trunks raised his sword, fully intent on decapitating the man. As the blade was about to strike flesh, it was blocked by a wooden staff.
"No Trunks. We don't kill", Aang stated.
"What! He'd kill you without a second of thought", Trunks rebutted.
"The monks taught me that all life is sacred, Trunks. Please", Aang pleaded.
Reluctantly, Trunks removed his blade. "Next time he attacks us, he's dead". He fired a fire blast, burning the boats Zhao used, and walked away. Zhao fell into unconsciousness.
After grabbing their things, the team was ready to go. "So, where we headed?", Trunks asked.
"The North Pole!", Katara excitedly proclaimed.
