Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Avatar: The Last Airbender or any such related… things. However, I would like to one day own the ability to firebend and perhaps a Fire Nation ship to go with it.

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Chapter One- It begins.

"Ah! Nice to see you there, Jin! And what will you be having today?"

Jin looked up at the server of the tea shop with a large smile. "Just the usual please. Thank you!" She gave him some change to pocket before he walked away. Across the room, the manager looked on approvingly.

"You, server boy. How long has that girl been visiting our shop?" he asked, calling over the local boy who had just taken Jin's order.

The boy looked over at the girl who was patiently waiting, before turned back to his employer. "Every other day for the past week. Her family just moved here."

The manager nodded his head. "And those guards?" He pointed to a group of four burly men sitting by the window.

"Ten times in the past two weeks," he said, glad that he could give his master such pleasing information. The manager smiled and let him go to get Jin's order. Yes, give it maybe a month and soon Si Fu's Tea Shop would become the most renowned in all of Ba Sing Se.

"Hey! Hey guys! You'll never guess what I found!" another guard called out as he entered the store. His buddies turned to look at him. "Down town, there's another tea shop. It used to be only so-so, but ever since this old man showed up with his young nephew…" Here he paused to sigh in what seemed to be a happy memory. "The tea is simply heaven."

Less than a minute later, the manager was standing in a tea shop devoid of customers except for Jin, who was still waiting for her tea before she left, and two old crones who didn't what to rush off somewhere new today because of their aching joints, but were promising themselves that tomorrow they'd give the new place a run for its money.

Si Fu's dreams of renown were being crushed before his eyes. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched in anger. This meant war.