Chapter. 6 Shukketsu Omoi vs. Peace Maker

A week was past by since the trip to the hot spring, Zuko is getting frustrated because he did not summon a black flame. Now Zuko just heard today will be his last day training. Wounding why his training is going to end he headed towards the temple where Nightmare will be waiting for him.

Zuko walked up to him and yell, "NIGHTMARE, WHY ARE YOU ENDING MY TRAINING!? I DIDN'T MASTER THE BLACK FLAME YET!"

"Don't worry about it, Kid." He got up from his chair and walked to a door. "Now follow me if you want to use the black flame."

Zuko glared at him as he followed through the doors. The two was in room with two earth benders. Nightmare nodded at them and nodded back. The two placed there hand on the stone wall and begun to bend it. The room started to move, Zuko could feel it moving beneath his feet. The room stopped and the door opened. Zuko and Nightmare walked out of the room as Nightmare lead the way. Zuko looked around and noticed some clouds around them. Zuko started to wonder where they are at.

Nightmare reached the edge of the temple and looked down. "We're 3,725 feet off the ground." His back was facing Zuko. "Do you have the gauntlet that Rin gave you?"

Zuko looked at the gauntlet on his left arm. "Yea, I got it on right now." He remembered Rei giving him the gauntlet early this morning and also remembered what she said to him.

xXx

Zuko walked out of the INN, headed towards the temple. On the way there, spotted Rei holding a black and red gauntlet. "Rin, what are you doing here?" said Zuko.

Rei looked at him and said, "The master wanted me to give you this." She handed him the gauntlet. "The gauntlet is for holding your sword."

"Oh okay." He said as he put the gauntlet on his left arm and attached the scabbard under it. "So what's going to be training for the day?"

"Your training is over." Rei stood there with a serious look on her face.

Zuko's eyes widen and then said, "What do you mean my training!?"

"It's master's order. If you don't like it then go and ask him yourself." Rei replied.

"Fine!" Zuko walked past her and headed towards the temple.

"Zuko…" Rei's back was facing Zuko's back.

Zuko did not bother to turn around. "What!?"

Rei looked down a bit and said, "Don't die." She sounded worried when she spoke.

Zuko turned around and looked at her. "What you mean by that!?"

Rei voice quickly goes back to normal. "Nothing!"

xXx

"So why are we up here?" Zuko stared at him.

"You know my sword wasn't made by the hands of a human." Nightmare said as he grabbed his Peace Maker. "And the same goes for you katana as well."

Zuko looked at his katana and said, "Then who made them?"

"They were made by a famous spirit named, Craftsman." said Nightmare. "She also made many more weapons as well."

Zuko was shock, knowing his weapon was made by a spirit. "That can't be true."

Nightmare looked at him and said, "Did you named your weapon, yet?"

"No I haven't." Zuko completely forget to name his katana.

"That's too bad." Nightmare sighed a bit. "Zuko draw you blade!" He orders him as he grabbed Peace Maker and get into a fighting stance.

Zuko's eyes widen from Nightmare's order. "Why!?"

"Because if don't draw your blade, you will die." Nightmare twisted the handle causing the blade the spin and making a buzzing noise.

"Is this because I didn't name it!?" Zuko was terrified from Nightmare's action

"No! This is your last training!" Nightmare stared at him. "Your training will end when one of us die."

"What!?" Zuko said as Nightmare lunge at with an upper slash. Zuko quickly dodges attack by rolling out the way. "Fine! If it's a fight you want then come and get me!" Zuko draw his blade, but for some reason his katana did not burst into flame. "What!?" Zuko thought to himself as he stared at his blade and wonder why his blade is not on fire. "What's going on!?" Zuko sighed and ignored as he get into a fighting stance.

Nightmare grin a bit as he twisted the handle making the blade spin faster. Zuko swung his katana at him, but Nightmare dashes out of the way. Nightmare did another upper slash at the prince, but Zuko deflected it with a downward slash. Zuko slashes to the right however Nightmare stick his sword down to the ground to block Zuko's attach. When Nightmare's Peace Maker hit the ground, he quickly kicked Zuko to the ground. Zuko fell to the ground and looked up to found Nightmare with his sword above his head. Zuko quickly roll out of the way when Nightmare stabs the ground. Zuko quickly got up and slashes at Nightmare's chest. Nightmare dodges it, but gets hit by Zuko's attack. Zuko ran towards him as he drags his katana on the ground. Nightmare swung as his release a black flaming shockwave at the prince. Zuko stopped running and quickly block the Nightmare's shockwave, but the shockwave was pushing Zuko close to the edge of the temple. Zuko deflect the shockwave, but as soon as he did, Nightmare ran towards him and drop kick him off the edge. Zuko's eyes widen as he fell off the edge and watching Nightmare staring at him as he fall.

xxx

Rei and Rin just told Ty Lee today will be the last day of her time in the island. Ty Lee felt sad for leaving her new friends. She explained every thing to Jin about what Rei and Jin said to her. Now Ty Lee is packing up her things, and Jin is packing up Zuko's things as well.

Jin looked down as she packed Zuko's things and said, "I'm going to miss you, guys." Jin stared at Ty Lee.

Ty Lee frowned a bit as her pack her things. "Yea me too." she said, and then an idea came to her head and quickly looked at Jin with a big smile on her face. "Hey, why not come with us!?"

Jin looked at her. "I don't know." She thought about Ty Lee idea about going to the Fire Nation with her and Zuko. "It's the Fire Nation you're talking about here. They that destroy my home."

Ty Lee looked down. "I'm sorry, I just thought it might be a good idea."

Jin gently hugged her and said, "I'll think about it. Okay?"

Ty Lee hugged back and nodded. "Okay." She smiled.

Jin smiled back and goes back packing Zuko's things. "I wonder how Zuko doing?"

xxx

"So is this how would my life will end!?" Zuko thought to himself as he falls. "Will, l I always hated my life. Losing my mom, and being banish from my home land as well." He closed his eyes and accepted his fate.Then a female voice echo through his head. "What!?"

The voice was fade at first. "Don't… give… up"

"Huh!? What!?" Zuko listen to the voice.

The voice grew louder. "What is my name?"

"I don't know." Zuko wonder where is the voice coming from. "I don't know your name!"

"Say my name!" The voice sounded more demanding.

"Why are you asking me your name!? I don't know who you are?" Zuko asked the voice.

"You're holding me right now!" said the voice.

"What!?" Zuko opened his eyes and looked at his blade.

"Now say my name!" said the blade.

"I for the last time I don't know your nam…" Suddenly a name came to Zuko head. "What!?"

"Say my name or you will die!"

Zuko yelled the name of his katana, "Shukketsu Omoi!" The blade burst into flame and then Zuko quickly stabbed the wall to slow down his fall and stop at 3,701 feet. "Okay what just happened!?" Zuko looked up and saw Nightmare jump off the edge. "What the fuck!?"

"It's over Kid!" said Nightmare as he release another flaming shockwave at him.

"Shit!" Zuko kicked the wall to remove his Shukketsu Omoi from the wall and to dodge the attack.

The two continue fall, Zuko was heading towards the ground as Nightmare follow him a few feet away from him. Both place their feet on the wall of the temple and gets into a fighting stance as the grind down and gets ready for the next round. Zuko dashes forward towards Nightmare and slash across at him. Nightmare quickly counters the attack by doing a downward slash. Nightmare lunge his Peace Maker towards Zuko's chest, but Zuko deflect his attack and slices Nightmare's shoulder. Nightmare held his shoulder for a bit then did upper slice at Zuko. Zuko block it, but when he's going to strike back Nightmare was gone. Zuko looked around then suddenly Nightmare reappears behind Zuko and slashed Zuko's back. Zuko lost his footing when Nightmare hit his back and then Nightmare grabbed Zuko leg and slam him on the wall and pushed him against it. Zuko could feel his body being pushed against the wall as he fell, but he got out when he cut Nightmare's leg. Zuko regain his footing on the wall as he face down at Nightmare. Nightmare released two black flaming shockwave at him, but Zuko quickly release his own red shockwave at Nightmare's shockwave. Their attack cancelled each out when the shockwave collide to one another and smoke filled the air.

"What!?" Nightmare was shocked on what just happened.

Zuko was also shocked and then he stared at his katana. "Did I do that!?"

Nightmare grinned a bit and said, "This maybe fun after all!" He gets into another fighting stance as he stared at the prince. "This time now holding back!"

Zuko quickly goes back facing Nightmare as the two getting closer to the bottom. Zuko released another of his unknown shockwave at Nightmare, but Nightmare cuts down Zuko's attack. Zuko continues releasing more flaming shockwave at his opponent. Nightmare keeps dodging Zuko attack until he is get close enough to side strike at Zuko's chest with great speed. Zuko moved out of the way, but he got hit anyway. Zuko's cut was deep and blood was pouring out a bit. Nightmare fires shockwave at him. Zuko did not have time to block it, so got hit and went through a window at the twenty-fifth floor. Zuko landed hard on a bookshelf making a cloud of papers around him.

Zuko got up and held his wound as he looked around for Nightmare. "Damn it, I got pretty badly…" Bleeding and badly injure, Zuko headed towards the door until Nightmare kicked down the door. "Shit!?" said Zuko as he get ready for the next battle. "What the hell are you!?"

Nightmare sighed a bit, "You still don't know kid?" He started at the injure prince. "Come on my nick name is a dead give away."

"Nick name?" Zuko thought about his nick name until he remembers where he heard it from. "Wait, don't tell me you're…"

Nightmare cut him off. "Yep, my name is Takashi the Fire Nations greatest Nightmare."

Zuko's eyes were wide opened as he remembers the tails of the Fire Nation best swordsman and the Fire Nation greatest enemy. "You should be dead!?"

"Yea, yea I know." Takashi lunge himself at Zuko. "Enough talk let's fight to the death!"

Zuko got out of the way, knowing he would not stand a chance guest Takashi. Zuko ran down between two bookshelves. He looked back as he ran and saw Takashi following him as he cut through the shelves like a knife through butter. Zuko jumped over a bookshelf lunge towards Takashi. Zuko strike down at him, but Takashi dodges his attack and kick Zuko's leg causing the prince to fall down. Takashi grabbed Zuko's leg and thrown him to the other side of the room. Zuko hit the wall hard, making a crater on the wall and then he fell to the floor. Weak and tire, Zuko cannot pick himself off the ground.

"Is that it, Kid!?" Takashi sighed as he shook his head, disappointed on that fact that Zuko look's dead on the ground. "Get up!" He walked to the fallen prince. "You can't be weak from that attack!?" He grabbed Zuko's Shukketsu Omoi and place Peace Maker behind his back. "Now it's really hard to believe you're the great grandson of Avatar Roku." Takashi roughly picked up Zuko and pin him against the wall hard. "You're weak!" He said as he let go the prince and quickly stabbed him through his chest with Zuko's very own weapon. Zuko was still alive some how, but he coughs out some blood as Takashi continue to talk. "You now what I'm going to do first after I kill you!?" He leaned forward and whisper to Zuko's ear. "I'm going to kill that girl you came with." Takashi grinned as he turned around and walked away from him as he left Zuko standing there with his katana sticking out of his chest. When he is one step closer to the door, he suddenly stopped and he heard Zuko's voice.

"I… can't let…you do that!" Zuko slowly pushed himself away from the wall as blood slowly dripped down from his chest wound. "I won't… let you harm …Ty Lee!" The prince breathing was heavy as he spoke, but he was determining to stop him even if it might cost him his life. Zuko grab the handle of his katana and slowly pulls it out from his chest. As he removes Shukketsu Omoi from his chest, blood some shooting out from his chest wound. When Zuko finally got his katana out of his chest, he fell to his knees as he stabbed the ground with Shukketsu Omoi to hold himself up. "If… your going to…harm her…You have to go through…me!" Zuko knew he does not have enough straight to get up, let alone fighting another around with him, but he need to save Ty Lee from being killed from Takashi.

Takashi turned his head to face Zuko. "Fine have it your way, Kid!"

The world seems to slow down as Zuko watch Takashi turned around lunge himself at the fallen prince. "I need more power!" Zuko thought to himself as he tightly grip his Shukketsu Omoi as he continues to watch Takashi getting closer and aiming his sword at Zuko's head. "I need more power to save Ty Lee!" Zuko mind was yelling to get up, but he could not move his body. "Damn it! Get up! I said get up!" He struggles to move his body. Zuko closed his eyes and when he eyes, the last thing he saw was the tip of Takashi's sword close to his head.

xxx

Ty Lee stopped walking and turned around to face the temple as she held her suitcase. "Zuko…" She said as felt something just happened.

Jin looked at her wondering why she stopped. "Ty Lee is something wrong?" Jin looked at the temple as she hold Zuko's suitcase.

"I… I don't know." Ty Lee shook the feeling away then smiled and said, "Come on lets keep going." They continued their walk towards the dock, but feeling came back to Ty Lee. She wonders if Zuko is okay.

xxx

Zuko's eyes were tightly close as he waits for the final blow. A few moment past by, when he realize nothing happened. He opened his eyes and found himself kneeling as he held the Shukketsu Omoi like when he cut something down. "What happened!?" he said to himself as he stood up and turned around seeing Takashi is a few yards away from him and also noticing there is a trail of black flame leading right to him. "Did…did I do this!?" Zuko looked at Takashi as he wonders what the hell just happened.

Takashi fell to his knees as he let go his Peace Maker. "Damn…didn't see that…coming." He cannot believe what just happened. He fell to the ground and then suddenly blood starts to poor out of his body.

"Oh no!" said Zuko quickly ran to Takashi side and slowly flipped him and lay him on his back. "Takashi!?" Zuko yelled a bit, hoping he will be okay.

Takashi coughed out some blood and said, "Well Kid…I hope you're happy?" He smiled a bit as his life slowly fades away. "You're a… Black Flame Bender."

"I don't care about that right now!" Zuko continue to look at him as he panic. He knew that Takashi is dying by seeing the blood slowly coming out of his body. "Don't die on me!"

"Well too bad…" Takashi sighed a bit as smile. "Like I… said before for… your training will be over… if one of us die…" He coughs up some blood. "And guess whose dying?"

"Don't say that!" Zuko said to him.

Takashi was still smiling as his time is slowly running out. "Before… I go; I want you to have… Peace Maker." He slowly grabbed his sword and handed it to Zuko.

Zuko grabbed Peace Maker and stare at it for a few moment. "But why!?" he said, and then he looked back at Takashi and notice his are not filled with life. "Takashi!?" Zuko shook his lifeless body and yelled, "TAKASHI!"

A two minutes passed sent Takashi died, Zuko slowly got up as he held Shukketsu Omoi with his right hand and Peace Maker with his left hand. He stared at his new extended sword then he places it behind his back and put his katana back in its scabbard. Zuko walked out the door; suddenly he started to feel weak. He leans against the wall and starts to cough out some blood. "Shit! I forgot all about my injures" Zuko thought to himself as fell to the floor and slowly passed out.

xxx

Ty Lee and Jin were at a Tea House waiting for Zuko. The two were having a random conversion and having a good time. Jin was thinking about going to the Fire Nation with Zuko and Ty Lee. Ty Lee still have that feeling that something was not right. The two continue to talk and drink their tea. Then suddenly Jin spotted Rei running towards them with a fright look on her face.

Jin quickly got up from her seat and stared at Rei. "What wrong!?"

Rei stopped and said as she catches her breath, "Zuko… is hurt!"

"Zuko!?" Ty Lee said with a worry look on her face. "Take us to him!" she said as she stared at Rei.

Rei nodded and lead Ty Lee and Jin towards the temple. In the same time, Rin was healing Zuko's wounds with her water bender skill.

"Prince Zuko, please don't die on me!" Rin said to Zuko as she heals his wounds. She hopes she can heal them in time to save Zuko life, but will this be the end for the prince?

Well I hope you readers like the battle with Zuko vs. Takashi and I also hope you guys like the side wall battle as well. ^_^ Please review.