Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender is own by Nickelodeon, and the other of this story claims no right to any references made the series, but the author does claim the plot, characters, and any original concepts created in this fiction which the author does not receive any income for.

Chapter 1- The Test

In the capital of the Fire Nation, in a shrine near the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, a young girl mediated and contemplated her future in the middle of a ring of fire. Despite the light the world was dark beyond the flames surrounding the girl. The only thing that watched the girl was the sun spirit, or at least in theory as a phoenix statue, also in the ring, gazed at the girl fiercely.

She was fourteen, with black hair held high in a tight top knot. Her tan skin was covered in a fine sheen of sweat because of time spend surrounded by flames. She hadn't opened her maroon eyes in hours, and her face held an serene expression.

The fourteen year old girl had tied her hair in a ceremonial top knot which matched the ritual clothing of an Agni Kai duelist. The only different between a man's uniform and her own was the maroon and gold wrap that covered her chest. A fine sheen of sweat caused the girl's skin to shine, and hours passed since she had last opened her maroon eyes.

The girls seclusion ended quickly and abruptly as the oils that fed the circle of fire ceased to flow. For a moment the girl sat in total darkness before light flooded the room when temple windows were opened. Daylight revealed large, red columns that disappeared into the shadows of the ceiling. On the columns and the walls between the windows murals depicted various legends of the Fire Bird

Despite the sudden change in atmosphere the girl continued to meditate.

"Very good young Firebender, now you are ready for the final test," the shrine's priestess announced as she entered the room after the acolyte who had opened the windows.

The girl didn't budge and continued to sit. "Young Firebender," the priestess walked up to the girl.

"Is she dead?" the acolyte asked. A small snore emanated from the girl's nose. "She's sleeping!" The girl's eyes snapped open after hearing the acolyte loud exclamation.

"Iz the vigil over?" she asked.

The high priestess giggled as the acolyte boiled with rage. "You were supposed to spend the night in meditation and thought, and preparing yourself mentally for the coming test. I think it is safe to say you will have to start over again," the acolyte announced.

"I spent the entire night in the temple and didn't budge Ji Nu. I heard when your vigil ended they found you on the floor snoring!" the girl announced.

"You little-" Ji Nu began.

"Both of you calm down. Your in a shrine dedicated to the spirit of the Sun. Not an Agni Kai ring," the priestess chastised the girls. "Hotaru, during your time in seclusion did you discover any hidden truths about yourself?"

"Eh..." Hotaru muttered.

"Can you remember what you dreamed of?" the high priestess inquired.

Hotaru thought for a moment before answering. "All I can remember is a black sword striking the earth."

"Interesting, very well you can carry on preparations for your lighting joust this afternoon. Its your final test before your declared a graduate and a Firebending master," the high priestess said.

"Thank you for blessing Lady Garuda," Hotaru bowed.

"Remember you will also expected to Lighting Joust a total of twelve turns," Garuda annouced stated.

Hotaru's eyes widened. "I thought the number was a six turns."

"You decided and announced your intentions rather publicly that you were ready to graduate. You can always wait until your sixteenth birthday to do perform a normal six turn joust. Sifu Surt just wants to make sure that you can actually perform to your own expectations," Garuda explained.

Hotaru nibbled her lower lip though stopped and stood tall when Ji Nu gave her a look. "I am ready Lady Garuda, I was just a little confused. Now if you will excuse me I have a joust to prepare for."

"If that is your choice. I and Sifu Surt will meet you at the outdoor auditorium at high noon," Garuda announced. Hotaru bowed one more time before leaving.

***

Hotaru walked through the halls of her dormitory, snapping her back and shoulders before she entered her room. She prepared her mat for a quick nap though found no rest herself as she laid down on her sheets. She glared at her still sleeping roommates whose dreams were making a loud impact on the waking world.

"Zi Fan!" Hotaru hissed and threw a pillow at the older girl. The sixteen year old's head emerged from under the covers, a startled expression on her normally beautiful face. Though older than Hotaru the girl was shorter. Where Hotaru was built like a sword ready to strike Zi Fan had the body of an ornate sculpture. Her soft brown hair was complimented by almond shaped amber eyes. Though her skin was a little darker than the preferred paleness of the Fire Nation nobility the color only added to her appearance.

Despite just waking up she glowed where Hotaru would have resembled a baby wolfbat with a bad cow lick. "Bad dream again," Zi Fan muttered.

"Was the suitor Sift Surt again?" Hotaru asked.

"No this time it was the Earth King of Ba Sing Se."

"That doesn't sound to bad."

"It was the old Earth King who died several years ago."

"Eww..." Hotaru muttered as she remembered the less than flattering depiction she had once seen of the old king.

Liver spots had never seemed so disgusting even though she had seen them on her own grandparents.

"How was the vigil?" Zi Fan asked as she prepared herself for the day.

"Slept through most if it. Lady Garuda didn't seemed to mind. Apparently I have to go twelve rounds with Surt before I'm qualified to be a master," Hotaru moaned.

"Thatâ–“s harsh."

"I've been stuck at this school for four years, and before that in the Free States I had a private tutor. I want to see my family again!" Hotaru announced.

"That isn't the only reason why you asked to be tested, is it?"

"No, well kind of sort of yes but I know I can do it. I just wish everyone else knew too."

****

Since the end of the Century War the lightning joust had become a tradition in the Fire Nation after Prince Iroh's lightning redirection technique had become common knowledge. A favorite game amongst children was "Passing the Spark," but games quickly turned to tests of strength, endurance, and skills when young men and woman were old enough to become masters.

Lighting Jousting itself involved throwing a lightning bolt back and forth until one opponent couldn't direct the lightning back towards their opponent or in rarer cases died because they attempted to do that. Four turns of a joust was typical for most schools though the Royal Academy for Girls practiced six turns in honor of half of the lunar year when fire bending was at its peak. In Hotaru's opinion some teacher who she had angered decided that Hotaru should honor the entire year.

Hotaru couldn't sleep and she spend the rest of the morning before her own in the library, reading the accounts of other jousters as she tried to discover another student who had to go twelve rounds. Hotaru would have been late to her own joust if a librarian hadn't told her about the lack of time.

She arrived at the jousting ring short of breath though in time to hear Lady Garuda's speech.

The student spectators made sure to sit far away from the official witnesses which included members of the School Council, various teacher, the school's headmistress, and much to Hotaru's displeasure her own grandfather. Hotaru gave the elderly man one hard look before facing her master.

Surt was one of the few male faculty members and the first man to teach Firebending at the school in seven decades Surt had taught at the school for seventeen years though their were rumors of an upcoming retirement despite young age.

Hotaru didn't know what to think of her master. His short skinny body disguised the muscles and his power. He was far from the most majestic fire bender with steel gray hair worn in an often messy top knot though when Hotaru looked into his lazy brown eyes she saw a spark of intensity that she had grown to respect.

They stood at opposite sides of the arena, and Hotaru breathed in heavily as Lady Garuda her place on the outskirts of the arena as referee. "Today we are hear to judge the lightning bending skills of Hotaru of the Free States and Fire Nation. Hotaru will be expected to joust with Master Surt no less than twelve turns, and on her final catch she will be expected to shoot her lightning into heaven itself to signify her ascend ion from student to master. Hotaru if you fail this joust you will expected to learn under Master Surt for no less than two years. Do you still wish to accept this challenge?"

"Yes," Hotaru announced.

"Then let the jousting begin," Lady Garuda announced.

Surt barely gave the priestess any time to vacate the arena floor as he charged his lightning and shot it at his pupil. With an out stretched arm Hotaru caught the lightning and let it flow through her body. A tingling sensation danced along her spine as the energy attempted to move from her stomach to her heart. She gave it no time to choose its own course as she sent it back to Surt.

Though Hotaru lost her ground during the joust she didn't fall and didn't allow the lightning to stray off its path. On Surt's final throw and Hotaru's final catch she felt exhilarated and high. The lightning flowed through her body longer than necessary, and a strange glint in her eyes was all the warning Surt had as Hotaru decided grounding the lightning would be a better spectacle than sending it too the heavens.

Grounding lightning was a technique that at best was risky and at worse deadly the person who imitated the attack. When the bender using the technique struck the ground the lightning would disperse and could in theory take down multiple opponents. The problem was more often not the energy would back track into the original bender and stun or kill them.

In a split second Hotaru reinvented the skill by discharging the energy in the pattern of a circular wave instead of a single shot that would fan outward. Around her the ground cracked and split, and despite her control the sheer amount of Lightning that had gathered during joust caused Hotaru's hair ends to singe.

The dust settled and Hotaru started to cough. She could barely hear the distant cheering of the student spectators over the ringing in her ears. Lady Garuda, Surt, and the witnesses talked amongst themselves.

Zi Fan left the stands, grabbed a near by bowl of water, and passed it to the hacking Hotaru. She let the water dribble down her font as she nearly tipped the bowl over to get to its contents. "Where did you learn to do that?" Zi Fan asked.

"I'm not sure, it just came to me there. I think I copied one of my grumpy's earth bending moves," Hotaru said. She stood, dusted herself off, and looked at her singed hair that had come out of her top knot. "I'm gonna' be bald!"

"Its not that bad. Maybe a small trim," Zi Fan tried to reassure Hotaru though she couldn't hide her grimace.

"Its not that good either," Hotaru said. The adults had finished conversing amongst themselves, and Surt approached Hotaru. "Did I pass?"

"You did do admirably during the joust itself, but grounding the Lightning was a dangerous move. We still need to decide if your responsible enough to handle your own abilities," Surt answered.

Before Zi Fan could protest on Hotaru's behalf the Firebender spoke up. "Thank you Master Surt." Hotaru grabbed Zi Fan's arm and walked off. The pair were quickly joined by other students as they left the arena.

Author's Notes: My first fanfiction in forever. This story does not contain any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender expect for their occasional descendant so turn away now if you don't want to read a story that deals completely in OC's. If anyone is willing to volunteer I could use a beta.