Chapter 15. To Gain Their Trust
A day later, Zuko slowly woke up and soon found himself inside a tent. Also he noticed that his chest was wrapped up with bandages to cover his wounds. Zuko rubbed his head a bit as he tried to remember what happened yesterday. As he tried to remember the event of yesterday, he looked around and spotted Ty Lee resting on a bed not far from his. He quietly got up and walked up to her. Zuko looked at her and noticed a bandage on her cheek and her right arm was bandaged up as well.
"Ty Lee…" said Zuko as he felt bad for not protecting her. "I'm sorry that you got hurt." Zuko sat down and held her hand as she rest.
Ty Lee moved her head a bit and slowly opened her eyes. "Zuko…" she said as she turned her head to face him. She could feel Zuko's warm hand holding hers as she held back. "Are you okay?"
Zuko smiled a bit as he looked at her, "I'm fine, Ty Lee. What about you?"
"I'm fine." she said as she sat up on her bed. Ty Lee looked into his eyes and noticed something was wrong. "Zuko, your eye?"
Zuko blinked in confuse as he looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"Your eye right is different." said Ty Lee.
Zuko reached for his Shukketsu Omoi. He pulled the blade out of its scabbard. "My eye!?" said Zuko as he looked at the reflection of himself. "My right eye is red!?"
"I think it suit you well, don't you think?" said Samanosuke as he entered the tent. "How cute, they're holding hands." He walked up to them as he held a large suitcase.
Zuko and Ty Lee looked at each other then looked down at their hands. They blush deep red as they held each other. Zuko and Ty Lee quickly let go of each other and looked away as they blush. They quickly let go of each other hands and looked away.
Samanosuke sighed a bit and said, "I see your wounds are healing well."
"Where are we at anyway?" said Zuko as he looked at Samanosuke.
"We're at the Western Air Temple." said Samanosuke as he placed the suitcase next to Zuko. "And the Avatar is here as well. We're going to meet with them later."
"What happened yesterday?" said Zuko as he tried to remember.
"You raise hell yesterday, remember? Ty Lee was in trouble, so you came and rescue her." After Samanosuke got done talking, he stood and started to head towards the exit of the tent.
"Is Jin and the others, okay?" said Ty Lee.
"They're fine, they are just resting." Samanosuke walked out of the tent as he said, "The master got you some new clothes and a nice new gift for your Shukketsu Omoi."
"I'm going to check on the others, okay" said Ty Lee as she got out of bed.
Zuko stopped her and lay her back down and said, "No, I got it. Just lay here and rest."
Ty Lee looked at him then nodded. "Okay." She closed her and soon fell asleep.
Zuko stood up and headed outside. He soon spotted Jin cooking a meal for later. "Jin, what you got there?" said Zuko as he walked up to her.
Jin looked at him and said, "I'm cooking some rice and beef curry." She looked at him with a smile on her face. "Want some?"
Zuko smiled a bit. "I get some later. Where are Rei and Rin?"
"They are inside their tent." said Jin as she stirred the curry.
"Okay." Zuko walked away from Jin and headed towards Rei and Rin's tent.
When Zuko entered the tent, he accidentally walked in on Rin changing into another clothes. They looked at each other as Zuko started to blush deep red. As they look at each other, Rei came out beind some box.
"Hey Rin, I think my breast gotten a bit bigger." said Rei as she try to wrapped the bandage around her breast. "Can you help…" She looked up at her sister and soon spotted Zuko. When she saw Zuko, Rei immediately scream to high heaven.
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"You guys heard something?" said Toph as she eats her meal.
"I didn't hear a thing." said Aang as he took a drink of his tea.
Katara looked at hear and said, "It might be the wind."
"I guess you're right." Toph took a bit of her meal.
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Jin quickly ran inside the tent. "What happened!?"
Zuko was on the ground with a fist like mark on his as Rei fist was smoking a bit. "Nothing!?" said Rei as she walked away.
"Sister, I think you over done it again." said Rin as she follow Rei.
Jin sigh a bit as she drag Zuko out of the tent. "What I'm going to do with you guys?"
xxx
An hour later, Samanosuke and Jin were having a meeting with Aang and his friend about Zuko join their team. The two sides argue to one other as Zuko and the other listen to them. The only person that agrees with Samanosuke and Jin was Toph. Toph knew that Aang needed a teacher to teach him fire bending, but other strongly disagree with her and Samanosuke.
"Why are you guys against this!? The Avatar needs to learn fire bending and we have two great fire benders that are willing to teach him." said Samanosuke.
"I'm sorry but, we don't trust him after what he did to us." said Sokka.
Katara glared at Zuko as she said, "And beside, how do we know if it's not a trap set by him to catch Aang!?"
"It's not a trap, trust me." said Jin as she looked at Katara.
"I don't know." said Aang as he think about Zuko being his teacher. "And Katara does have a point."
Toph sighed a bit in anger as she then said, "Look, Aang need to learn fire bending to beat the Fire Lord!? So lets Zuko teach him then!?"
"It's not looking good." said Rei as she listens to the meeting not far from them.
Zuko sat down as he looked at the ground. "I wouldn't blame them. I be mad too, if I was in their shoes."
Rin sat next to him and said, "Don't worry Prince Zuko, I'm sure Samanosuke will found away to make them say yes." Rin smiled at him. "And if they say no, I can always make you feel better!" She hugged him as she made sure her breast was covering Zuko's face.
Zuko was blushing deep red as he tried to get out. "Rin!? Let me go!?"
Rei smacked Rin on the back of her head then dragged Rin away from Zuko. "Stop teasing him already."
"But sister!?" said Rin as Rei dragged her away from Zuko.
Ty Lee walked pass by them as she walked up to Zuko. "Zuko, you didn't change your clothes yet?"
Zuko looked at his clothes and said, "What wrong with the clothes I'm wearing now?"
Ty Lee sighed a bit and said, "It's dirty and full of holes from yesterday."
Zuko stood up and signed. "Fine, I go and change my clothes."
Ty Lee smiled and said, "Good."
"Call me if something happened." said Zuko as he walked back to the tent.
Ty Lee nodded as she watched the meeting. "Don't worry, I will." she said with a smile on her face.
Another hour passed since the meeting started. So far nothing changed. Samanosuke and Jin was still trying to convinced the Avatar and his friends about Zuko joining them, but they still refuse to have Zuko in their team. As the meeting went on, the mercenary Zuko hired was going to start his attack. The meeting ended when the mercenary started his attack. Everyone quickly took cover as the mercenary keep firing his fire blast.
"Oh no!? It's Sparky Boom Boom Man!?" said Sokka as he hide behind a wall.
Samanosuke looked at Sokka as he cocked his eyebrow. "What!?"
Sokka looked back at him and said, "What!? Is a good name for him."
"It this rate, he going to tear the whole building off the mountain!?" said Toph as she could the stone building getting weaker from the blast.
"We need a plan!?" said Jin.
"I got it!?" said Sokka as he then reached for his boomerang. Sokka watched the air follow just before the blast. He tried to calculate the angle of the mercenary where about. "Don't fail me now!?" Sokka throw his boomerang, but the mercenary shot it down. "No!? He shot down my boomerang!?" said Sokka as he tried not to cry.
"Go for the exit!?" said Aang as he guide everyone to the exit that lead towards another building.
The mercenary quickly spotted the exit. He took a deep breath and fired another blast on top of the exit. Big chunk of rocks started to cave in the exit, trapping Aang and everyone else in the damage building.
"Oh no!?" said Katara as she looked at the blocked exit.
"It look we're fighting!?" said Samanosuke as he used Princess Yue to summon two ice knives.
The mercenary took deep breath and fired another blast, but this time he aimed at the Avatar. Katara quickly pushed Aang out of the way as the blast hit her.
"Katara!?" said Aang as a cloud of dust was blocking one view of the blast.
"No!?" said Sokka as he hoped his sister was not dead from the blast.
The cloud of dust slowly started to fade away. They could see a shadowy figure as the dust settle. Then light breezes blow the dust cloud away. When the dust cloud was gone, young man wearing a long red coat was holding Katara in his arm. Katara looked at him and was surprise to see that she was saved by Zuko.
"Zuko!?" said Jin as she watched him standing there in the open.
Zuko placed Katara down as he began to walk to the edge of the building. He looked up to face the mercenary. "I want you stop hunting the Avatar!" Zuko ordered the man.
The mercenary ignored Zuko's orders as he continued his attacks. Zuko quickly dodged some of the mercenary's attacks. The mercenary started to get irritated as he tried to aim the prince. Zuko quickly ran up a wall and jump towards a poll. He grabbed the poll and spun around before he let go and leaded on the same building where the mercenary was standing on.
The mercenary looked at Zuko and took a deep breath before firing another blast. Zuko did not have time to dodge the attack as he got hit. Black smoke surrounded the spot where Zuko was standing on. The mercenary thought he killed Zuko until the Peacemaker went passed by his head. The smoke quickly disappeared when the blame flame lady was floating behind Zuko.
"What is that!?" said Katara as felt a little frighten when she look at Zuko.
Samanosuke looked at the prince and said, "It's called the Trigger. The weapon true form when it is awake."
The mercenary looked at new powerful prince as he took a deep breath. Zuko quickly ran towards the Peacemaker. The black flame lady grabbed Peacemaker as the mercenary fired his blast at the prince. Peacemaker quickly blocked the attack as Zuko moved in with the Shukketsu Omoi. The mercenary quickly held up his right metal arm to block Zuko's attack, but Zuko cut it in half with the Shukketsu Omoi as the same time the black flame lady did a downward slashed at the mercenary. Zuko and black flame lady were fighting as one as they fought against the mercenary.
"Time to end this!?" Zuko grabbed the mercenary and head butted him to the ground. The prince jumped off the building as the mercenary slowly got up. Zuko landed next to Katara and then got to a fighting stance with the Shukketsu Omoi. The black flame lady held the Peacemaker upside-down as the blade started to charge up. As Peacemaker charge up, Zuko was also charging up Shukketsu Omoi. "Ashes to ashes…" said Zuko as with draw Shukketsu Omoi from its scabbard so fast that you did not have time to blink as the black flame swung the Peacemaker above Zuko's head. When the two swung their weapon, but nothing until Zuko slowly put the blade back in its scabbard as the same time, the black flame lady placed the Peacemaker on Zuko's back. "…dust to…" The mercenary took a deep breath as he get ready for the final blow at the prince. "…Dust." said Zuko as the Shukketsu Omoi was fully in its scabbard.
The mercenary was about to attack until the building started to show two type slash mark. One was straight and hard to see as the other was rough and big. The two slash mark cover the whole building. The mercenary was going to jump to the building where the Avatar and the others were until the building collapse to the depths down below.
Zuko endded his trigger and almost fail to his knees. "Damn, I have to get use to this." said Zuko.
"Zuko!?" said Ty Lee as she quickly ran to his side. "Are you okay?"
Zuko leaned on her and said, "Yea, I'm fine. Just take me to our tent."
As Zuko and Ty Lee walked away, Samanosuke looked at Aang and the other. "So do you trust us now?"
Aang and his friends huddle up to have a small meeting. After seeing what happened, Aang and his friends as come to a decision. Aang walked up out of the group and headed towards Samanosuke. "My friends and I had come to a decision." said Aang as he looked Samanosuke and Jin.
"And what is your decision?" said Jin as she stood next to Samanosuke.
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A few minutes later, Sokka was giving Zuko, Ty Lee, and the others their own room. The room was close to each other, but away from Aang and his friend's rooms. Sokka just got done taking Zuko to his room next to Ty Lee.
"Thanks." said Zuko when he entered the room.
Sokka does not what to say as he walked away from the room. "You're welcome, I guess."
Zuko started to place his things in his new room. He removed the Peacemaker from his back and placed it at a corner near his bed; he also placed Shukketsu Omoi next to Peacemaker. He walked to his bed as he started to remove his long red coat and placed it on a coat rack.
Katara walked in his room as she still did not trust the prince and upset on the group decision about having Zuko as Aang teacher. "Zuko!?" she said as Zuko removes his shirt.
Zuko looked at her and said, "Oh hi, Katara."
Katara blushed a bit as she looked at the shirtless prince. "Just because you're in our group, it doesn't mean I can trust you!? You had so called friend to vouch for you, but if I see one small thing that make me think you betray us, like the way you betrayed me at cave. I will personally make sure I will end your life where you stand. Remember, you're not the only with a powerful weapon." Katara sounded serious as she looked at Zuko.
"Katara, I wouldn't blame for getting upset of what I done in the past, I right now I need to the right thing." said Zuko. "So please trust me?"
Katara glared at the young prince as she said, "You have to earn my trust first, Zuko." The young water walked out of Zuko room as she then slammed Zuko's door.
Toph leaning against the wall as Katara walked passed by her. "Wow, so much anger and yet you have feeling for him." said Toph with a small grin on her face.
Katara quickly turned around and walked up to the earth bender. "What are you talking about, Toph!?"
"You know what I'm talking about." said Toph. "You have feeling for Zuko, huh"
Katara's cheek turned red as she said, "No I don't. I hate his guts!?"
"Then why your heart was beating like crazy when he held you in his arm when the mercenary attacked us. Don't forget the meeting; you were staring at him the whole time." said Toph as she faced Katara.
"Shut up!? I don't have feeling for him!?" said Katara as she quickly walked away. She slammed her door when she entered her room. She started think about what Toph said to her. "I don't have feeling for that jerk!?" said Katara as she lay on her bed.
Toph laugh a bit as she walked to her room. "Is fun missing with her." she said with a smile on her face.
YAY I'm done with the chapter ^_^ I hope you like the chapter and as I promise, I add the info as well. Also I'm thinking to mix in some Devil May Cry stuff for fun. Plz review and no mean ones too.
Info
Shukketsu Omoi – This long katana was given by Zuko's former master, Takashi. The blade is made with a very strong bone steal from a spirit, heated with the fire of hell and cooled with the water of heaven and fuse with a young female spirit. The scabbard of the katana was made from bones from a fire spirit and painted with blood from a fire spirit. On the side of scabbard and the blade have ancient Chinese writing that said, "Forever Bleeding Heart" (I know it's emo but it sound cool). Shukketsu Omoi was one of many weapons made by the Craftsman. The can cut almost anything close range and far range as well. For this weapon, Zuko use the Scabbard fighting style. Scabbard fighting style removing the katana from the scabbard, make a few quick slashes and put the blade back inside the scabbard in blink of an eye. (The fighting style is a lot like Vergil fighting style in Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition.)
Zuko new clothes from the master: A long dark red coat and the right sleeve have nice black flame tribal design. A black shirt and a dark red buckle-up vest. A long black cargo pants with two dark red belt, over lap one other. Black military boots. One fingerless glove for the right hand.
Zuko gift from the master: Beowulf Gauntlet, this red and black gauntlet is for the left arm. Beowulf is made to help carry the scabbard of Shukketsu Omoi, so Zuko can grabbed the Peacemaker with his left hand and the blade of the Shukketsu Omoi with right. (Think if as Vergil Devil Trigger. The way the scabbard is fuse to his left arm.)
The Trigger: The Trigger is the true form of the Craftsman's weapon. The Trigger increases the speed and the straight of the user. Some weapons will show small changes on the user body, to show the weapon as awaken. (Like Zuko's right eye. It was ember but now is dark red.)