Giddy joy was clear on Mara's face as Ukik placed the pin on her shirt.  Dan was smiling too; he was happy for his sister.  [color=green]"Thank you so much!"[/color] she said happily.  [color=green]"I swear you won't regret it!"[/color]  Practically skipping with every step, she eagerly followed the two of them into the arena.

Dan followed as well, but remained close to Mara.  "Hey," he muttered, hoping the other two couldn't hear him.  "Don't forget what we talked about, alright?  I know you know the rules, but knowing and doing are-"

[color=green]"Would you relax?"[/color] she whispered in reply.  [color=green]"I've been practicing for this since I could lift rocks!  I'm [i]totally[/i] ready!"[/color]

Dan sighed.  "I'm well aware of that."  He had to admit that Mara had definitely put a lot of practice in: he'd often had to pick her up and take her inside because she'd fallen asleep on the makeshift practice field they'd sculpted some years ago.  Even so, he was an older brother; it was his God-given job to worry about every little thing that could happen to her.  And having large stone disks, balls of fire, and harsh water whips flying at his little sister's face and body was [i]definitely[/i] cause for worry.

He shook his head.  "Alright, I'll quit nagging.  But remember our sparring sessions: aim for the openings, be aware of your weaknesses, and keep a level head."  True, a one-on-one sparring session against a non-bender and his sword was very unlike a Pro Bending match, but both of them had kept themselves fit and capable by training, and oftentimes their matches ended in a draw when they fought until they were exhausted.

Mara nodded.  [color=green]"Stop worrying so much.  You'll see; I'll blow 'em all away with my technique!"[/color]

Dan would have said more, but he knew it wouldn't have made an impact; Mara was in her "too-determined-to-care" mode, and nothing would reach her now.  Besides, they'd arrived at the dressing room.