Katara the next morning set out to find Templar Li, Fenix told her he was training out in the woods somewhere…at first he wasn't easy to find, then heard someone shouting, she headed in that direction to find her mystery person punching at targets he'd set amongst the trees and bushes. His hands ablaze with that black flame, soon three sandbags swung freely from the trees on ropes. He dodged them and threw fireballs at the targets he'd placed on the trees, he then stopped and took a few deep breaths, then a target appeared some 40 feet away. He stood in a fighter stance, a ghostly radiance of 'dark fire' flame engulfed his body, with an up-scale roar he sent a blazing column of flames at the target, the force so great the target exploded, Tem Li drawing all the flaming pieces into a pool near-by him.

Suddenly he looked in Katara's direction and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, Katara then heard a whistling sound behind her. When it stopped she turned around, she saw an arrow-head pointing just a few inches from her face. Scared witless, she looked and saw Tem Li had appeared behind her and had stopped it from penetrating the back of her head, beyond the arrow she could see a gray cloak fleeing from the scene.

Katara looked at Tem who's eyes shot a look of spite at whoever shot that arrow at her, he then looked down at her and asked, "Are you all right?"

Katara nodded, his eyes still had a bit of that menace in them, but it was softening into concern for her safety. She nodded nervously, then made a motion to take off his hood. He saw her hand and back away a step, "What is it that you think your doing?" he asked. Katara withdrew her hand and blushed a bit.

"Oh, you want to see what I look like?" Tem Li asked, Katara nodded. He then took off his hood and a tangle of black hair fell down to shoulder length, he then removed the piece of cloth which masked the lower part of his face. Katara stepped back temporarily in shock, Tem Li looked at her puzzled and asked, "What is wrong?"

She shook her head and said, "Nothing…you just remind me of someone I know, a Fire-bender whose crossed our paths. I mean you don't have the scar…but it's a deadly close resemblance."

Tem Li then looked at the arrow and said, "We better get back to the village, I have someone I have to confront for attempted murder."

"But we don't know who tried to shoot me with that thing!" Katara pointed out. Templar Li looked at her and said, "You don't…but I as hell do."

As soon as Katara and Tem got back to the village Tem picked up speed, he finally found his target and turned him around to face him, it was Diablo.

"Diablo," Tem said angrily, "can you tell me what you were trying to accomplish shooting an arrow at a girl?"

"I don't know what you mean?" Diablo said, trying to sound surprised, "But another thing you should know by now Tem Li is that I don't like being falsely accused, and that arrow bares not my end feathers…but Aldaris'."

Next Diablo and Tem Li (Katara trailing behind them) went to the elders' hut, Tem Li explained what he had witnessed in the woods, Katara supported the story. Diablo laid down his side of the details saying he had been falsely accused of something he didn't do. Aldaris arrived and saw the arrow with his tail feathers on it, Diablo gave a smile Tem Li didn't trust, "Ah Aldaris…we were just discussing a matter that concerned you, seems someone tried to kill the Avatar's little servant girl and it appears the assailant was using one of your arrows."

"I'm not Aang's servant girl!" Katara detested.

"SPEAK WHEN SPOKEN TO!" Diablo shouted back.

"Wait, elder…it wasn't me, I was hunting with Fenix, Makino, and Sokka. Fenix had found deer tracks, any of those three could back up my claim! I would never hurt any friend of the Avatar, here's my proof!" Aldaris argued, then he placed one of his arrows in front of the elder, this gave Tem Li an idea. He picked up Aldaris' arrow, then lined it up as best as he could. "What are you doing Tem Li?" Asked Diablo. Tem looked at him and asked, "Now Diablo…can I have one of the arrows from your quiver?"

Diablo looked a little nervous, "Come on Diablo…it's a simple request," a smirk crossed Tem Li's lips, "unless you're trying to hide something, that is."

Diablo scowled, took one of the arrows out of his quiver and said, "Here you go, punk…not like you're going to find anything though."

Tem lined the arrows up, nodded and said, "Get Sokka, Fenix, and Aang in here…I think I'm ready to solve our mystery."

When they all arrived Tem took a deep breath, "Now as the elder, myself, and Katara know…and as you're about to learn, someone tried to assassinate her."

Sokka and Aang neared Katara, "You realize he looks like—." Sokka started to say, "Don't you think I was surprised about that myself." Katara replied back.

Tem cleared his throat and continued, "Now…of course I looked at the arrow and may've realized that there were two possible assailants, our brethren Aldaris, or Diablo."

"But Aldaris was with me and some others hunting a deer, 14 point, quite fast." Fenix told them.

"Yes, that's what he claims…and by the end feathers on the arrow would have supposed he were lying, but as we should all know by now…no matter what is at the end of the arrow, no two blacksmiths could make the exact same arrow. Why do I bring this up? Elementary my dear friends, elementary, because when I lined the arrows of Aldaris and the assailant up, look at what happened."

Tem lined them up for all to see, "Aldaris' arrowhead is a bit smaller and sharper than the assailants'." Aang pointed out.

"Good eye Aang, but when I lined up Diablo's and the assailants' arrowheads," Tem did the same thing. "they lined up perfectly…now of course right now I'd expect Diablo to object to this, hoping to save his own fat from the fire a bit longer…but then it came to me, Aldaris, as you know we Dark Fire-benders are taught to make our own arrows."

Aldaris nodded, "Well, as I've known you to do on numerous occasions, you tend to leave some parts out in case you need to make more, it is then by my clever deduction that you must've left out some end feathers, Diablo saw these and immediately started to work on his assailant arrow. He already had the arrowhead and shaft made, all he needed was the end feathers to complete his trickery. Then he set out to take out his target, the one thing I didn't have now was alibi….but now that I have looked at the evidence more closely, I have made it out to this. The elder was going to elect his predecessor, what better way for Diablo to secure his place in the running than by getting all others running out of his way through false accusations, he thought if this plan worked, which at this point it did not, then he could probably kill Sokka and Aang with just as much ease and get Fenix, or Makino, or anyone else eligible in trouble."

Diablo looked down at himself, then looked at Tem Li, "Yes but you forgot one thing."

"Oh, and what's that?" Tem Li asked, he saw Diablo make a slow hand motion to his left side. "You were so busy with all your deductive sleuthing…you couldn't see your own death!"

Diablo then pulled out his knife and attempted to stab Tem Li, Tem countered and grabbed the knife out of Diablo's hands. Then put the tip under Diablo's throat. Diablo let out a furious hiss, then stormed out. "I can't believe a person would stoop to doing that!" said Sokka.

"Believe it, young one…but I am not surprised that Diablo, one of our village…would stoop to such lows. But he had reason in doing so, by springs' beginning he'd be of age for the elder election, and with me out of his path…who'd have the fortitude to stop him?" Aldaris asked.

"I would Aldaris…I fear no evil, for the Tomaì is my strength!" Fenix told him.

Rain gave a faint smile and said, "Seems I have two worthy candidates here before me, you wise Aldaris….and you noble Fenix. But the decision is mine and I will make it when I believe its time."

Meanwhile Tem Li and Katara watched from the entrance as Diablo continued to make his leaving, Momo had appeared from behind one of the other huts and stopped to gaze at Diablo, Diablo looked into the green-eyed lemur's eyes. "Get out of my path, you little vermin."

Momo just cocked his head and made a soft purring sound, Diablo then brought his leg back to kick Momo out of his path. Katara looked ready to rush out and stop him, but Tem stopped her and said, "No."

"But he's going to—!" Katara protested, but Tem Li shook his head and said, "Not even you can see all ends, just watch."

They both watched as Diablo brought his leg forward again for impact, but Momo jumped out of the way of the kick, causing Diablo to fall on his back. Diablo then just picked himself back up and continued storming out of the village, cloak swishing behind him.

Aldaris looked at what they'd been watching and said, "He didn't always used to be this was, when he was my apprentice he only said a snide remark when something was troubling him, then four years ago he became what you saw before you…I don't know what's gotten into him…but if he doesn't control it soon, he'll be the downfall of us all."

Well with that out of the way, the day seemed slower than it normally was…but by afternoon, the entire village would have a change in routine, for the events that were about to take place