Chapter 8 – Purpose

Beta read by Levi Ackermanlet

Zuko stared at the textbook in front of him in hatred.

'Okay, so the Faunus are the weird…animal…human…things, and they have extra body parts that do stuff. Or was it instead of normal parts…do they still use their normal ears if they have animal ones? And what kind of animal is a puma? It sounds fake… They also have night vision…what the heck is that? Vision at night? How does that even work? That's a…oh right, animal thing…'

"This is the part where you lose."

Zuko glanced up from his book to momentarily watch the fight at the front of the classroom. If you could call it that. It was about as one-sided as when that Water Tribe boy had charged him at the South Pole. He felt a small smug satisfaction at the memory of knocking the kid away. It'd been brave of the boy to try and stop him. Water Tribe barbarian or not, he certainly didn't lack guts, only brains.

Zuko watched with disinterest as the blonde boy on stage went down. He wasn't exactly surprised, he'd been losing from the start, and the kid had barely been standing after a few hits, let alone been able to make a comeback. Zuko watched in anger as the blonde's opponent raised his mace, ready to finish him off. He was about to stand up and step in when the teacher stopped him.

"Cardin, that's enough!" The boy relented and walked away, resting his mace on his shoulder. "Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura has now dropped into the red. In a tournament-styled duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle, and that the official may call the match."

Zuko glanced to his aura notes again.

'Is that the one that gives them magical powers? No…that's…semblance right? Aura was that soul thing…which might as well be magic.' Zuko grit his teeth just like he had when he'd first learnt about it. A world with no benders should have meant he didn't have to worry about threats. Instead, he'd apparently found himself surrounded by a whole world of people who outclassed him in multiple ways. Each person's aura meant they could take more punishment, punch harder, they could outclass Zuko in any fight if he let them. He certainly wasn't weak, even in this new world there weren't many people who could shatter steel chains in a single kick.

But that was the problem, Zuko could only do that because of his fire bending training, which was effectively a semblance power. He could use his bending to even the field with any one of his team in a fight, but if Ruby used her super speed, Blake her illusion things, or Weiss and her magical floating symbols…then he would be toast. Heck, he hadn't even seen what Yang could do, but he just knew it would be something bad.

But even with all that said, even if he had his bending back, which he didn't, a single 'dust bullet' would kill him. Catch an arrow as it came towards him? Easy. He'd done that a hundred times before. He'd done it recently with that Rough rhino archer just before he and his uncle had been kidnapped. Catch a bullet travelling so fast he could barely see it? No…

"Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your Scroll during combat. Gauging your Aura will help you decide when it's appropriate to attack, or when it is better to move to a more... defensive strategy. We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowolf, now, would we?"

"Speak for yourself..." Cardin lazily stepped off the stage, the arrogant smirk feeling right at home on his face.

"Remember, everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing! Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!"

The bell rang and the students stood up to leave. Zuko didn't move however, still thinking through his options.

'Maybe I could make a fire shield? I lived through my ship blowing up because of it. No…I'd still been in a mess afterwards, I can't afford to take the chance that it won't block everything.'

"Ahem."

Zuko blinked and looked up at the teacher stood over him.

"Yes, Miss Goodwitch?"

"Class has finished, Mr Lee, you can leave now." She looked over towards his open textbook. "Unless you'd rather stay and read up on elementary schoolwork."

Zuko scowled. "My education missed some things."

"So I've been told." She matched his glare with one of her own. "Mr Lee, I've been excluding you from combat practice because you have failed to demonstrate any aura control. If you cannot participate in the classes which your scholarship requires you to complete, then may I suggest that you rethink your attendance at this school."

Zuko growled and slammed the textbook shut. "I'll catch up." He stood up from his seat and stomped out the classroom, seething with embarrassment and rage.

~RWBYZ~

'Stupid teacher. Who does she think she's talking to? I'm royalty, the son of the fire lord, the most powerful person on the planet, and she thinks she can treat me like some-..some…child!?'

Zuko cursed her name all the way to the cafeteria.

'Arrogant cow, what kind of teacher mocks someone just because they don't have an aura, or because they're struggling over work that didn't even exist a few weeks ago. I'd like to see her insult me once I get my bending back. I'll burn that stupid cape of hers and-'

"Hello Zuko."

Zuko snapped out of his inner ramblings and looked up at the person serving him food.

"Hello uncle."

"We're having fish, vegetables, and potatoes today. Though I did manage to convince the chef to let me make them myself, so they're much closer to the fire flakes from home that you like so much."

Zuko grunted as his uncle laid the food onto his tray. He still didn't like that his uncle had been reduced to some chef's servant, but at least he seemed somewhat happy doing it, especially when he spoke again.

"I even managed to order a few extra ingredients, soon I'll be able to make Jasmine tea again! I couldn't find any Ginseng unfortunately, but it's something. A man can only go so long without his tea after all."

"Zuko! Over here!"

He looked back to see Ruby waving at him from the far end of the hall, the rest of his team and team JNPR all sat with them.

"Thanks for the food, uncle."

"Enjoy, Zuko. Say hi to your team for me!"

He left and began making his way towards his team. He was still angry, but at least seeing his uncle helped calm him down somewhat.

"Hey, we saved you a seat."

Ruby moved over slightly from the two seats she had been occupying. Zuko muttered a small thanks and sat down. The rest of his team said nothing as they were all listening to the orange-haired girl from JNPR telling a story.

"So! There we were, in the middle of the night..."

"It was day." Her male companion corrected her, even as she continued as if she'd never heard him speak.

"We were surrounded by Ursai..."

"They were Beowolves."

"Dozens of them!"

"Two of 'em."

"But they were no match... And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"

"She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."

Zuko had barely listened to them. 'Ren' may not have been so bad, but the pink one was so peppy and happy that he could barely stand to hear her. She reminded him far too much of a particular air bender.

As they turned their attention to the blonde boy who'd just been beaten in the class before, Zuko's eyes caught something. The one who'd been his opponent and three others who were most likely his teammates had begun to block the path of some Faunus girl.

The boys surrounded her and began to mock and prod her. He'd seen it a thousand times before, and he didn't need a book to tell him discrimination when he saw it. Both before and after his banishment, Zuko had been appalled by the wanton segregation of benders and non-benders in the military, with only fire-benders receiving the proper armour and equipment they deserved. The rest? Treated like fodder. Like they were lesser people, no matter that they still fought and bled for their nation with as much honour as anyone else.

Zuko turned to look at Ruby, and clenched his fists when she saw it, and looked away. His team saw the boys too, as did the other team who were sitting with them. Just like Ruby, they looked away in disgust. The red-haired girl turned her attention back to the blonde.

"Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school!"

"Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah... He just likes to mess around! You know, practical jokes!"

"He's a bully." It was Ruby that time, casting an annoyed glance over to the boy in question.

"Oh, please! Name one time he's 'bullied' me."

Zuko ignored them as they recounted all the times Jaune had been bullied.

'So what? That's it? They're just gonna sit there!? So much for wanting to help people, Ruby, I'd have thought you of all people wouldn't just sit back and let it happen.'

Cardin began to tug on the Faunus's bunny ears as he and his team laughed.

"Atrocious. I can't stand people like- Zuko?"

Pyrrha watched in surprise as the scarred teenager abruptly stood up from his seat and began marching over towards Cardin. Yang took notice quickly, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh, what's he doing?"

"Getting himself into trouble! What does he think he's doing!?" Weiss began to desperately look around for a teacher they could tell, maybe if she found one quick enough then she could stop Mr Moody from getting himself punished. The others at the table began to call for him.

"Zuko!"

"Come back!"

"What are you doing!?"

Zuko didn't hear them, his anger blocking out all save for the four men before him.

"Hey!"

Cardin stopped in surprise, his hand still gripped tightly on the girl's ears.

"Let the girl go."

Cardin laughed, even as he let go of her ears. His teammates stepped up behind him, trying their best to look intimidating.

"And just who are you, trying to tell us what to do?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. But I know who you are. You're not Huntsmen, you're bullies. Cowards, abusing anyone who won't stand up to you, and messing with a girl whose life is hard enough as it is."

Cardin growled and stepped forward until he was right in front of him. He may have been taller than Zuko, but he wasn't intimidated in the slightest.

"So what, you and your team want to take us on?"

"You're darn right we will!" Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Weiss all formed up behind him confidently.

"No."

"Huh?"

"They didn't want to step in before, they won't now. I'll take you all on."

Cardin smirked viciously while his own team looked stunned.

"Uh, Zuko-"

"Shut up, Ruby!"

"Hey!" Ruby looked flinched, while Yang smacked her fists together in anger.

Cardin brought their attention back to him as he laughed. "You heard him, ladies, nobody interfere."

He and Zuko continued to stare down at one another, tension filling the room. Cardin cracked his knuckles and puffed up his chest, while the firebender merely waited for him to make his move. The other students in the room began to crowd around and chant, eager to see a fight outside of the classroom. Cardin wheeled back to punch, but found himself flung backwards into the arms of his teammates.

Zuko had barely moved to shove him, and returned quickly to his original standing position. Cardin growled and charged at him again, his fist already raised to strike. With just the slightest of steps, Zuko dodged the blow and grabbed Cardin by the head, flinging him around before throwing him face first into one of the benches.

"Argh!" It would have knocked out a normal person, but thanks to his aura, Cardin was still conscious. If, very pissed off. He turned to his team in anger. "The heck are you idiots doing just standing there!? You're in this fight too, remember!" They hesitated for a moment, before they and Cardin all charged in towards him.

Zuko ducked and sidestepped as punches began to rain towards him. More people didn't exactly change the balance much when they were all restricted by the benches around them. When one of them stepped too far forwards, or overextended themselves in an attack, Zuko would step around them and send them crashing back down to the floor.

His attackers however, just wouldn't stay down. As their auras allowed them to simply take the beatings Zuko was giving them, it was only a matter of time before one of them got lucky. Cardin was the first, landing a painful punch across Zuko's chin, staggering him backwards. He recovered, and made Cardin pay for it with a flurry of painful blows, but he'd made an opening regardless, and soon more and more hits were landing on him.

Zuko blocked blow after blow, dodging and weaving between his opponents until Cardin caught him staggered, and kicked him full-force in the chest. Zuko went down, and hit the floor, hard. When Zuko didn't move, Cardin laughed, raising his fists in victory.

"Zuko!" Despite whatever he may have said, Ruby was still worried when she saw her teammate fall.

It was an all too familiar feeling for Zuko, being beaten by so many who were better than him. Azula. The Avatar. Against those he needed to fight, he was always so weak.

His hands twitched as a smug Cardin began to tower over him.

'Remember this, Zuko, no matter how things seem to change, never forget who you are.'

Who was he? A banished prince? A failure in not only one world but two? No…

'I am Zuko. And I am done being weak!'

Zuko's legs whirled through the air, unleashing an inferno of flames that smashed into the bullies around him. One by one they smashed into the benches, all save for Cardin being knocked out. Cardin watched in fear as Zuko rose to his feet, fire billowing around him as he seethed with rage.

Without hesitation, Zuko ran towards him sending blast after blast into him. There was just the slightest pause in his barrage as he charged up his attack, unleashing a wave of fire that blasted Cardin off his feet and into the wall at the far end of the cafeteria. His fight won, Zuko took a deep breath, and extinguished the flames around him.

'This time will be different. I won't fight for myself, but I will use this strength to help others.'

"Just what do you think you are doing, young man!?"