Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Burning Fire. Enjoy the 1200-word chapter. I don't own Avatar, Nick, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko do.

Kei deflected the fireball from Izumi's hand into the sky. He responded with a trio of flame punches while he forced Izumi backwards. Their bare feet danced over the smooth wood as she tried to trap his left foot with hers. Kei turned his face to the side, avoiding a plume of flames that almost scorched his face.

He pivoted around, swinging his foot to knock Izumi to the ground. The woman continued to kick flames toward him, forcing Kei to leap backwards, throwing himself into a flip once more as Kei leapt onto the railing.

"You're getting faster and better." Kei stated as he cracked his fingers, looking at Izumi who was interested. "Hmm…" Kei started to walk back and forth.

Izumi was silent as she climbed to her feet. The duo began to circle each other like Sand Sharks. Both locked eyes as the princess and her captain of the guard began to look at each other. Both knew the other was not trying to kill them, but both was still treating this like a real fight to the death between each other.

"I've had a good teacher." Izumi said, a small smirk appearing on her face as they approached the other for another attack. "I do want to point out why you're taking it easy. You've gotten more power than that." Izumi added to which Kei was quite quiet as he shook his head.

His crimson eyes burned with energy. Kei knew for a fact that things could become far more intense of it came down to it. He knew that something was bugging Izumi, however.

"I do not want to hurt you, your highness." Kei said, taking up another fighting stance as he made sure that his next attack would not hurt the woman at odds while he shook his hands.

Izumi landed a flame towards Kei who sidestepped, looking at her with interest as he held up his own arms.

"I'm not weak, captain." Izumi stated with a hum as Kei raised an eyebrow, his armor neatly laid at the edge of this training arena to begin with.

"No, I know that to begin with." Kei stated while he cracked his fingers and looked around while he started to think as he hummed. "And I know that I'm training with you. This isn't lightningbending." Kei said as he blocked a punch towards him a moment later.

He blocked a kick followed by a flame kick which almost knocked him to the ground, he leapt backwards. He knew she was far more eager to learn then anyone else who was being taught firebending.

"Didn't your father try to teach you?" Kei asked, less trying to pry and more concerned about the issue at hand.

"Not to the degree I asked, no." Kei heard from Izumi, causing him to rub at his head as he shook it in annoyance. "And yet you think training me with it is stupid." Izumi added to which Kei rolled his eyes and he turned to the princess more than anything.

"I do NOT have the best training when it comes to lightningbending." Kei stated, resting a hand on his temples as he leaned on the railing. "If things were that easy? Don't you think I'd teach you?" Kei added while looking at Izumi as he wondered what was going to happen next.

"And what do you suggest then?" Izumi questioned while Kei shrugged, unsure what to say next.

"I don't know what to really tell you when it comes down to it?" Kei questioned, unsure what to tell the young princess. "I might be able to help, but you'd have to talk to your father. I still have to report to him, I think at the end of the day? You're going to grow at your own pace. I did, I'm sure your training is going to advance on its own pace." Kei added as he leaned on the railing.

Kei couldn't blame Izumi for wanting to train and grow stronger each and every day. He helped her as much as her fire bending would allow, but he wasn't going to hurt the princess who was quite busy thinking about things.

"Think fast." Kei heard as he leapt back from a massive wave of fire from Izumi's foot as she leapt towards him again.

She tossed a pair of fireballs which caused Kei to step backwards. He knocked them aside, throwing a wave of flame towards Kei with a kick as she leapt backwards, looking at her friend with a raised eyebrow.

"You're getting quite skilled at this when it comes down to it." Kei stated, pausing to look at Izumi a moment later. "Let us continue, I'll show you what to do… And secondly? Sneak attacks like that only work if you're an assassin and trying to fight me from the shadows when it comes down to it… Are you trying to fight me like an assassin?" Kei questioned as he shook his head before letting out a hum.

Izumi continued to launch walls of flames and jets of fire at him. She was as powerful as her father and Great Uncle Iroh. Still? She lacked the patience of the general, however which he knew was going to be a flaw in her fighting style if she didn't constantly check to make sure she wasn't expending too much energy.

"You want a fight? Then let's fight, Zumi." Kei said, leaping into the battle as he twirled around a flame punch before launching into a punch. Izumi flinched which caused her to back away a few seconds later.

"You're not holding back anymore!" Izumi stated as Kei rolled his eyes at this.

"You don't want me to, remember?" Izumi heard from Kei as she deflected a fireball from Kei's hand. "Besides, there's plenty to try and teach you when it comes down to it… But I am going to need help if I teach you lightning. It isn't something every single person learns when you come down to it. I also don't know if you have it to begin with. You know not everyone has it when you think about it." Kei put in, raising his flaming fists towards her.

"Maybe, but there's only one way to try it in the future." Izumi stated to which Kei shrugged and watched Izumi shrug and look around with amusement.

"Sometimes I wonder if your father assigned me to help you for something when it comes down to it." Kei added, leaping towards Izumi a moment later.

She grinned, holding up her fingers as flames danced from her fingertips a moment later as she nodded.

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter done! I want to apologize for this chapter being short. Next chapter will be longer. I will be trying to update this story soon. Also? Yes, Izumi is a firebender. We never saw in the show so I wanted to show she can fight and such. Next chapter will show more talking and both Kei and Izumi talking during a war meeting and such. Until 2-10 months, Lighting Wolf out!

P.S: Next chapter is 900-4500 words and such.