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Li stepped out of the Orphanage and began to run down the street, being sure to dodge out of the way of the pedestrians and various carts that were around him. He was a while away from the school, he knew that the Master bender was going to be furious. Finally he made it to the front doors of the Firebending Academy, and rushed in.

Before he had a chance to say anything the master declared "Your late!". At this Li shuddered...the master had a very commanding voice, it always made him jump when he yelled. "I know Master...Im sorry, I was just..." the master cut him off before he could finish, "I dont want to hear your excuses Li!, go to the side and do your drills...Ill talk to you after the class finishes."

Li walked to the side and assumed a low bent knee position. "LOWER!" declared the master...he always wondered how he could tell when he wasnt looking. He bent his knees lower, and held his fists to his sides and began his breathing exercises. Once he felt relaxed enough, he quickly set one foot forward, and with a quick jab of his fist he let out a controled burst of fire. As soon as this one was released he set another one out and leaped into the air with a spin kick, sending an arch of flame with his foot. Once he landed he dropped lower with his arms stretched out, his right behind him, left infront. Flipping his right hand over he steped forward, closed it, and sent his left fist forward with a powerful finishing fire blast.

He practiced his drills for about a half hour, long enough for the master to finish the class. After everone else had left he went to Li. Li bowed twards him. "Li, this is the 3 day this week that youve been late, what is wrong with you?" said the old firebender. "Master, Im sorry, there is no excuse for it...it will not happen again." Li looked up at him, he knew why he was late, but showing this to his master would be considered weakness, his nightmares would not prove a valid reason for his tardyness. "Lets hope not Li, I am growing tired of your absenses. You show great promice young one, you have alot of skill, but no control, I would hate to lose such a great student...but if this continues, even just once more, I will be forced to expell you from the academy." The Old firebenders eyes narrowed twards his pupil, as Li's eyes met the gaze. "Yes master, it will be sure not to happen again, thank you for your patience."

Li walked slowly back to through the city, barely watching for the carts. Finally he made it to the orphanage building and stepped inside...

Tsuzuki sat inside of the dojo and closed her eyes. She was extremely tired but couldn't quite fall asleep. She had been on the line betwen sleep and complete conciousness for weeks after she had left the Earth Kingdom and the last line to her previous, happy life. Nothing she did now would help her except, possibly, training in order to tire herself out. Her eyes flew open and she leaped up, ready for whatever was to come next.

She extended her arm slowly and softly, watching and recording every aspect of her arm and remembering them for what seemed like the thousandth time. After she extended it all the way, she felt the air around her sizzle with heat but no fire came. She then extended her other arm at the same speed, recording and remembering all of the same things she had just done with her right arm. The same heat graced the air once more.

After pausing for a brief moment, she started to run towrds the wall and then kicked upwards, trying to walk on it. But, instead of walking, she released two powerful blasts which sent her reeling backwards into the wall painfully. "That wasn't supposed to happen," she spoke softly to herself, filled with worry, "But I had a hold on my bending. What happened?"

She didn't want to accept what she already knew to be true: she was loosing it since she had been banished from the Fire Nation. "But I was reinstated as a resident and, even an important noble. Now, why would they do that? Why would they want me, someone who has been virtually nonexistant for five years, back?" She paused before whispering what she had probably already known in the back of her mind but hadn't accepted, "They want me to fight in the war. Probably as a higher up seeing as they could get grunts anywhere. But why would they do that? Because I have insider information on each Nation. . . except for the Air Nomads. But this war is between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom so that wouldn't be necessary. Although, other Nations have been known to become involved," she ran her hand through her hair, "Why does this have to be so complicated?"

(Training: 1, [LB]-7)

After drying off quickly, Tsuzuki got dressed and left the bath house. She was bored again and wanted something exiteing to do. As if the spirits had been listening to her thoughts, she noticed a poster describing a firebending tournament. It was taking place today and seemed informal enough that she could arrive right before and still be entered. And, fortunately enough, it was only a block away in the colosium.

Once she turned the corner she saw it: the biggest building she had ever seen besides the palaces of the world. It was enormous and made out of stone. In which, there were marble statues and carvings that illustrated the history of the Fire Nation all from when Dragons taught the first firebenders how to bend. She entered into the golden arches. There wasn't much of a crowd but just enough people to completely fill the first five lower rows in the seats. On the field, there was a booth where she could sign up. There were sixteen spots and fifteen had already been taken. The names she saw, she recognized. They were very strong firebenders and even a few nonbenders. "Name please," the woman at the desk drawled on in an annoying voice.

"Tsuzuki Okami," Tsuzuki said, looking around.

The woman smiled and as she wrote down Tsuzuki's name, she said, "It's a pleasure having you, Ms. Okami. I'm glad you're back in the Fire Nation. And I want to wish you congratulations."

Tsuzuki gave her a confused look but did no more about it. She took the directions from a sheet of paper that had been written for contestants and found herself in the lower portion of the colliseum. She noticed that she was the smallest person in the group and one of the two girls. The other was a strong nonbender that was known throughout all Nations as a great sword fighter and explosives expert. Her name was Anada which was also the name of a great snake spirit famous for its deadly nature. It probably wasn't her real name but Tsuzuki liked to pretend it could be.

While she was smallish, Anada was tall and muscular but not as muscular that would heavily distract from her beauty. Her long, black hair covered her dark eyes and set enormous contrast against her pale skin. Tsuzuki looked away when Anada noticed that she had been staring at her. Tsuzuki didn't see her grin when she came up to her and said, "You're Tsuzuki Okami, arn't you?"

Tsuzuki nodded. She was surprised that Anada had recognised her by her name; Tsuzuki could be a boy's name too. "Yeah, I am," she said cautiously.

Anada continued nonchalantly, "Well, from what I hear you're a pretty good fighter. That's why the Fire Lord picked you to be one of his new generals."

Tsuzuki raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "Yeah, right. I'm sure the Fire Lord didn't mind my banishment."

"Whatever. It's true though. And, your first opponent is the dirt bag that's a commander right now. Watch out."

As Anada walked away, Tsuzuki looked around and found who she was talking about. A thirty-something-year-old man with brown hair stared her way confidently. Tsuzuki just rolled her eyes and prepared herself mentally for the battle ahead.

Lee had enter the capitol city by popping from out of the ground. He looked around with disgust at all the citizens of the Fire nation. All fire benders sickened him. And nothing could bring him more pleasure than causing them harm. So Lee had an fiendish idea. He stood in the Iron horse stance and then leaned forward and stomped the ground with his right foot to create a small surge in the earth. He wanted to do some damage to the shops and people as well.

((19*7*))

Suddenly a flair of trumpets arouse from the palace. They were so loud, she could have heard them even if she were fifty miles away. These trumpets hadn't ever sounded in her lifetime but she knew what they meant: the Fire Lord has died. She had promissed the man that had come to look for her that she would be at the corrination ceremony no matter what. And, with that, she left. She didn't inform anyone where she was going before she exited through the large stone arches.

Before she went to the palace, she realized that her country clothes would no longer work. Fortunately, she knew of a woman who sold fancy clothing next to the palace. She went in her store and searched for a moment before finding a dark red dress. It had no sleaves but the transparent, black material that went over it covered her arms well enough. The shoes that went with it were dainty slippers of the same color. She frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror; this color clothing didn't go with her blonde hair. She bought it anyway with a gold hairpiece that would keep her ponytail up by itself.

Without changing into the 10-gold-piece dress, she went down the street to a hair supply shop. Inside, there were berries that, when smoothed through one's hair, changed it into different colors. She asked the clerk politely if she could use one of the showers upstairs (the owners lived above the shop) to use the product immediately. At first, the clerk was skeptical but, when she found that Tsuzuki Okami was the one standing in front of her, she immediately complied.

As Tsuzuki ran the berries through her hair, she knew that the black color would only last a few weeks. The berries that they sold here were cheap and didn't last very long. When she went back downstairs, she had changed into her beautiful dress and the flame head piece and was ready for the corronation.

(exit: The Capitol enter: Fire Lord Kuzon Corrination Ceremony)

"Damn...I never got to spend that money you gave me!" He then placed his arm around Raj as he finished the water bending to put more water into his gourd. "Cant handle the sea, Huh land lubber?!" Katagi said joking with a pirate tone.

On the boat Rei had just been goofing around for most of the beginning, jumping around, using some Airbending to play with the water, tossing his Staff around, the usual, but near the end of boat ride, about now he had been getting bored, it was sort of a long trip. He noticed Raj at the front of the boat, holding his stomach and groaning, mumbling something Rei couldn't exactly hear, he wasn't exactly surprised, Raj wasn't much of a Sea person, he'd been like that the entire time, little baby shouldn't have taken the boats in the first place. "Ah I good thing Katagi, guess you can give me a loan then right?" Rei picked up after he heard the Waterbender, in a spurt of Air and the chance of earning some Copper Pieces or anything, Rei lept up off the chair and over to Katagi and Raj, hearing Katagi joke about the sea-sickness, little bugger, Rei wanted to do that!

He patted Raj's back, poor little Earthbender, couldn't handle the water just yet. "Yeah Katagi, why make fun of the little Earthbender, its not HIS fault he hasn't grown his Sea legs just yet, right?" He grinned jokingly as the ground was just about there, they were about to dock. "How're we supposed to pull the plan off now, maybe we should leave him behind, he IS slowing us down afterall." Rei laughed, immitating Raj earlier at the Earth Kingdom when he had planned on leaving Rei and Katagi behind with that other wierd Earthbender, what was his name? Lee Fong or something. They were about to dock though by the time someone else would have said something, so they could continue on, or well, Rei would need to figure out another way to get through this without being attacked by a angry Earthbender, why, OH WHY, did Raj take everything Rei said serious!