First greetings

Katara was the last to join the gaang, now standing a far distance from the two eagerly smiling women. She had gathered up the furs in her arms and dumped them down on the snow.

"Suki what are you doing?" she yelled. Both of the girls had now taken a fighting stance and looked just about ready to kick the other's head off. But they didn't look intimidating. In fact both were chatting and laughing before Suki looked over to Sokka.

"Sokka! Call the match!"

He was equally as shocked as the rest of them, but he knew better than to defy a ready-to-fight Suki.

"Umm...Suki, Kyoshi warrior from Kyoshi island and....uhhh..."

Both women dropped their arms as he tried to think of a title to call the stranger.

"...girl that was frozen in ice for who knows how long, and keeps cactus juice on her person..."

"JUST SAY GO!"they both shouted in unison.

"....go?"

Almost immediately both girls jumped back. Each took a different readying stance but both arms were held out in front of them. Suki seemed to keep herself close to the ground for balance and the opponent was almost on her tiptoes.

Then they sprung forward.

The collided and both left forearms met each other, with a loud thud erupting from the contact.

Then Suki threw a right, but the girl blocked it with her left arm. Then she threw a left but it was blocked by a right arm.

Then it reversed, and the girl was the one throwing the punches. But they were blocked as quickly as they were executed by the opposing arm from the other girl. Then legs started to get involved.

With Suki's Kyoshi stance close to the ground her legs made sweeping movements, attempting to knock the opponent off their feet. They were synchronised with her hands which were blocking and punching as the other girl moved.

The stranger, being on her toes, was successfully jumping all of the sweeping movements and several times her body swung around and made a swinging kick, narrowly missing Suki's head.

"There's something about this that seems strange.." said Aang thoughtfully, focusing on the movements each fighter was making.

"Yea...they outmatch each other. I've never seen anyone outmatch Suki apart from Azula."

Katara's eyes lit up. "Wait...her movements. Her kicks, her swings....they're like Azula's!"

And indeed as they watched and pondered over her likeness to Azula, her body flipped back over itself and she landed on her feet.

Sokka and Katara's mouths hung open before Sokka pointed an accusing finger "She's...she's..."

"Fire nation" said Aang calmly. They both looked at him quizzically but he merely continued to observe the battle. "But that's not what seems strange. There's something about her chi, it gives off its own energy...like she's....different."

"Different? We found her in a block of ice. And as I recall, the last time that happened the occupant was indeed 'different'."

But Aang ignored the warrior and continued to watch, just as Suki delivered a powerful kick to the girls stomach that sent her shooting back a few feet and landing on her behind.

Suki gasped and covered her hands with her mouth. "I'm sorry."

The gaang then proceeded to run forward to investigate, but they were stopped as the young woman held up an open pal to them. She then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slowly but steadily stood up.

Her legs buckled a little and her body swayed in a unnatural way. Suki smiled and so did the girl.

Then, reaching behind her, she exposed two fans. She flicked them open delicately and held them in her kyoshi stance.

"Aren't you going to get a weapon?" she asked teasingly.

The girl looked at the rest of them who had taken a few steps back at the sight of the fans. She then twisted her neck around and cracked it before flexing her fingers.

Sokka turned to Aang. "I think this is about to get ugly." and Aang nodded in a agreeing manner.

"I'll step in if need be."

They faced each other yet again. This time Suki made a starting move and started to run forward, her legs barely touching the ice as she sped towards her opponent.

The girl stood still for a moment before her hands erupted in a flurry of fire. Suki was a bit taken back, and her pace slowed down but she kept going forward.

Now instead of just hands, it was fans against fire. Trails of the dark orange element follwed her every movement as the fans blew them away.

Katara tugged on Sokka's shirt. "Look at the flames..."

Sokka peered closely at the fire and squinted his eyes. He wasn't sure if it was a trick of the morning light or if it was actually happening, but the flames seemed to be getting brighter...no, they were changing colour. Now they were a bright yellow, almost white.

Aang noticed too and they all looked at each other. But they didn't stop changing. They continued to get brighter until the yellow dimmed and they turned a bright green.

"Alright Aang, blue fire is bad enough but I think green means its time to call it off."

Aang nodded and picked up his staff he had placed on the snow. He swooped it around and shot of air right at the two warriors. The flames extinguished and the fans escaped from Suki's hands. Then both women were blown to the ground.

"Aang! Come on, that was getting good."

All three of them approached the girls. The braids had fallen out of the strangers hair and Suki's was sticking up in odd places. They both rose themselves to their feet and bowed in a dignified manner.

"Okay, you can fight." said Suki accepting the fact. But the girl shook her head and smiled widely.

"No, you can fight. I can bend."

"Well I hope you two have found out that violence isn't the way to solve anything."

But the girl jumped forward excitedly. "Are you kidding? It solved everything."

Aang was shocked at her reaction and almost angry that she was going against him. But she relaxed a little and held out her hand. Sokka took a hold of it and shook it.

"Hi, my name is Tiao." she said, her smile almost too big for her face.

Sokka stopped shaking and the gaang exchanged looks.

A fighting scene. My first ever!

I also have a picture of what Tiao looks like.

http: // peridotkitty dot deviantart dot com/art/Water-Tribe-Tiao-114290301 (without 'dot' and spaces)

Or you can click on my profile ;P

Please review, I appreciate the love :D