8-8-06

Hello, and welcome back. Sorry for the little hiatus. I was on summer vacation and I didn't want to type anything out. Hopefully I can go back to weekly or bi-weekly updates as I am about to go to work on the next part maybe. Only two more chappies until this part is halfway over! So yeah, enjoy it as much as possible. TO THOSE FEW THAT READ THIS: Please, please can you review? I know that you read this so can you review? I just want to know what you all think about the story. I am starting to get desperate now. I need reviews to know what ya'll think. So please just drop a few words by. Thankies. This is more or less a filler chappie and the next is to lead to the climax of this part where a series follows for ten chappies. Ok, please read and review. .

--Rika-san

Scene 8: The Duel

Lau's POV

I sighed as I inhaled the aroma of my poison's toxins. I was cooped up in my chambers brewing up a new batch of poison for my next quiver of arrows. I was looking forward to the spar, more than anxious to prove to him that I was far superior to him in combat. I had been waiting for this for a long time. I wasn't going to use a bow, which was very unfortunate as I loved my bow the most and I was very skilled in archery. But, I would kill him too easily with it. The only weapon we were allowed to use was a sword. I wasn't used to carrying one, but I did know how to use one though. My uncle had taught me recently, only about two years prior to leaving. I only owned one sword, my father's.

My dad's sword was normal looking, the blade about a meter long, and a plain hilt. The only detail that made it stand out was an inscription on the bottom of blade, near the hilt. The symbols for 'The way of the warrior' were engraved into it. I remembered the day that my dad showed me the sword, the day that he was going to leave to war, he and my mom.

I had sparred with Zuko many of times before, but I had a strange feeling that this time the spar would be different. I knew that neither of us would get injured critically, but something felt weird. Maybe, probably, it was just me being my overly-worrying self…but I wasn't positive. Zuko had been in a bad mood all yesterday night. I knew that he would fight pretty rough today, but I was ready for whatever he would dish out to me.

I strapped my sword to my belt, ready to fight him. I checked my poison one last time, with only five minutes until it would have to be put into vials before it over fermented and was useless, and left the room. As I walked down the hall and out onto the deck, I then knew that I had felt, what I had known. It wasn't going to take long. It would be over and done with in a few minutes, preferably five, as I needed to get back to my poison. I saw Zuko standing out next to his uncle, his sword strapped to his back, as usual. I smirked. Oh how I was going to have fun.

"Anything goes. Use bending until one unsheathes their sword. Let the last man standing win." Iroh declared as Zuko and I stepped in front of each other, both of us glaring into each other's eyes. "Start!" He yelled, as he took a step back, narrowly avoiding a blast of fire that I sent out instantly after it was started. I had taken Zuko by surprise, which I relished. The look on his face told me everything that I needed to know.

I took another deep breath and punched out my fist, sending another thick stream of fire towards his stomach, which he quickly deflected by diving to the side, missing him.

"Come on, Zuki, is that the best you've got? This is child's play." I taunted him, his anger boiling so high that I could even feel it. I saw him fume silently at me, revenge and anger burning in his eyes, which only egged me on more. "Now I can see why you aren't a master yet." I might have taken that comment too far as he caught me off guard. He jumped up and spun, sending multiple blasts at me. I blocked all but one, for some reason, and that one powerful blast knocked me back and made me hit the cold steel deck hard, knocking the wind out of me for a moment, until I could regain my breath. I shook my head to clear my mind and I stood back up, my feet square. I glared at his little smirk of triumph that he wore so proudly, but I had another thought up my sleeve.

In one quick movement I unsheathed my sword, holding its blade vertical to my face, waiting for him to do the same. He reached onto his back and pulled out two Broadswords. Oh crap! I was great with a sword, but Zuko was just as good with his Broadswords. Why hadn't I guessed that he would fight with them? But this was going to be fun, a lot of fun.

I rushed towards him, swinging my sword at him only to be blocked. He swung his right sword at my stomach and his other at my neck. I blocked the blow to my abdomen, then I rose my blade to my neck, saving the potentially deadly blow from reaching its target. Sparks fell in a shower to the floor. I rolled his blade off of mine and I took a step backwards.

I sliced downward onto his shoulder but he spun around and sent a blow to my back. I reached over my shoulder and stopped his blades in the nick of time. I was slowing down and a lot slower than he was. I was screwed. But I would not give up in the middle of a fight. Keeping constant contact, I spun around, spun my blade and knocked a Broadsword out of Zuko's grasp in a flash. This time, he had taken a few steps back, away from the main field. My shoulders heaved as I took in enormous breaths, my body starting to overwork, my body desperately trying to get the air that it needed to replenish my body. I knew that in one quick move I could end this mock fight and I could rest, as I knew his one true weakness in combat. His weakness, no matter how hard he trained, he could not seem to rid himself of, as if it was strapped to his back, never letting go. And it was all that I would need, all that I would need to take advantage of to win.

Zuko also regained composure and took a step forward and I followed suit. This very short segment was very quickly paced. One of us would send a blow, the other would block it and et cetera, et cetera. We were growing tried as our breaths labored and our attacked moved slightly slower than before. My muscles ached from the strenuous toil. I had not sparred with a sword in over four years and its weight was strange to me. It was built for a full-grown man – not a teenage girl. As we continued the fight, I noticed that Zuko was using a lot of his strength behind his blows, whereas I was using as much energy as I needed, but saved the rest, as I was conserving my energy for my final blow.

I met Zuko's blade at his collarbone. Keeping him occupied, I spun around, crouched and swung my leg, hitting him on his knees, causing him to fall to the floor on his back with a crash. As he landed, his sword skidded across the deck, gone from his reach. I bent lower and stopped my blade just centimeters from his neck, victorious.

"Checkmate, Zuki." I said victoriously. I reached down, offering him my hand, but he swatted it away like a fly, as if it wasn't even there. He slowly picked himself back up, standing back up on his feet after a moment, brushing dirt off of his clothes.

"You know, I let you win that one." He replied coldly, only to have me cock an eyebrow at him in reply.

"That cold tone of voice isn't going to heal your wounded ego, even I know that." I said smugly, a smirk dancing on my lips, a hint of laughter in my brown eyes. It wasn't so much that I enjoyed torturing Zuko, actually, I just wanted to make my ego feel better. It was selfish of me and cruel, but I needed to feel better, even if it meant degrading my best friend. "That's not the way I saw it."

"Well you saw wrong! I let you win so you wouldn't humiliate yourself in front of Uncle!" He snapped back, not wanting the opposition from me. I scoffed at him within my mind, knowing that he was just bull-shitting his way though that one.

"Oh, when did Zuki become so caring and thoughtful and selfless? Let me guess, you didn't want me to be embarrassed so you took the fall for me and embarrassed yourself…all for me." I stated, overly sarcastic, feeling the weight of my words on my tongue, almost wondering what had gotten into me, almost. I glared at him and he glared at me, a usual setting for us too. Suddenly, unknown to me, Iroh got into the conversation.

"You both did excellent. Your forms were near perfection, both of you." Iroh applauded both off us. "Now, how about we all forget about this spar and cool off drinking some nice refreshing tea?" Zuko almost exploded upon the suggestion.

"I don't want any tea, Uncle! Can't you see that there are more important matters right now than tea?" He yelled as he stormed off, picking up his Broadswords from the deck.

"Sometimes I just don't understand him…" Iroh stated quietly as he watched Zuko disappear on the other side of the deck. He turned to me. I didn't need to worry about Zuko, he was the least of my problems. If he wanted to screw up his life and live as a sour person, it was his life, he could screw it up any way he wanted for all I cared. And I understood where his mood was coming from. If Zuko hated one thing the most, it was losing, especially after what happened with his father, but he had always been like that, and Zula hadn't helped much with the situation.

"I know, Iroh, I know." I replied, my voice hushed. "He'll get over it by tomorrow. And knowing him, he'll want to get me back, somehow." I said, smiling at his antics, satisfied at knowing him pretty much inside and out. How he would get me back, I didn't know for sure, but I knew, swearing over my bow, that he would, or at least try.

Hm you made it through the chappie, so please review. Please...

Preview: Scene 9: Targets and Open Doors