A/N: A few words before we begin. I don't own Avatar (there's my disclaimer) or Chaos or String Theory.
I DO NOT own Khorne or Warhammer 40K or any of the other demons or characters I have listed here. I do not own Taku or Fooly Cooly (though I'm jealous of those who do) Or Black Sabbath or any of their songs or paraphernalia.
I do own the Hellraiser and their abilities and birthrights. (You can use em if you ask me) I do own my mind, although it's on sale on Ebay, which I don't own, either. R+RR and Review after each chapter, please!
This is part 2, by the way. I'm gonna upload part 1 soon, if I can find the damned TIME!
Avatar TLA: After the Insanity II
"According to the map, we should be about ten miles from-- Oh, wait."
"We're lost, aren't we?"
No, we're not lost,we're only ten miles West off course."
"You said that twenty minutes ago, Twinkle-Toes. Face it, we're lost."
"No, we are not lost. Hey, Taku! are we lost?"
Taku glanced over from his perch on Appas tail "Naw, Aang, we're not lost."
"See?" Aang grinned triumphantly at Toph, who in turn rolled her eyes.
"I know where we are, exactly." said Taku.
"Where's that?" he squinted at the map with his good eye.
Taku glanced offhandedly at the map in Aangs lap "Oh." he smirked "About fifty miles East of where we should be."
Toph and JJ roared with laughter. "And they say I'm the blind one."
"Shut up, Toph." said Aang, good-naturedly. He thrust out the rolled-up paper, smiling. "Would you like to read the map instead?"
"Not as long as you've got it upside-down, no."
Taku roared with laughter as a snickering Toph pointed to where they were supposed to be.
Aangs face now matched the shade of the sun in the sky. "Shut up, guys..."
Chapter One
Returning Home- 2 days later
"Hey, guys!" screamed Sokka, looking ecstatic."HEY, GUYS! THE OTHERS ARE BACK!!"
Zuko, Mai, Hokaida, Katara and Ty-Lee all emerged from inside their home (their ) running full-tilt towards the descending Air Bison, who roared in relief at the exiting of his passengers.
"Good Job, Appa" praised Aang, who received another roar in reply. He was sideswiped by Sokka, knocking him down in an attempt in a bearhug.
"Sorry, Aang" said the embarrassed Sokka. While digging a toe of his boot into the sand, he noticed Taku and JJ standing nearby. "Who're they?"
"Who're you?" a smirking JJ, "Are you an idiot? or are you just acting stupid?"
Sokka grinned horribly, still flustered from his collision with Aang, who was standing up. "Doesn't they always say that it takes one know one?"
JJ appeared nonplussed, and rolled his eyes "I doesn't exactly know what they say, man." He folded his arms across his chest, glaring. "You're Sokka?"
Sokka now realized that JJ was egging him on--and it was working-- "So what?"
JJ snapped his fingers abruptly, eyes lighting up. "You got it! that's they say!!" He cackled, "Maybe you're not an idiot, after all."
Sokka glowered at JJ, who stared back, until a voice close by them growled "Hey, morons."both turned to find an angry-looking Zuko standing a few feet from them, smilingly sardonically. "I hate to break up your reunion, but-" he forked a finger over his shoulder. "There're bags to unpack, and they're yours."
"Oh, yeah" both JJ and Sokka said this, in unison as Zuko disappeared, to be replaced by Katara.
"Hey Aang! Hey, um...Guys." she blushed. "Uh, Aang, who are these guys?"
"We're guys," said an ever-sarcastic JJ, whom upon Aang cast a deathly gaze. "What more do you need to know?"
Aang ignored JJ, and smiled at Katara, who gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "How've you been?"
Aang laughed "I've been all right." he grinned, in spite of himself "These guysare JJ (who nodded and gave her the "rock-on" sign) and Taku (who also nodded, but gave her the "peace" sign)
"I see." Kataras expression brightened. "Oh, man, wait till you see-"
"TWINKLE-TOES!!" she was cut off abruptly by a screaming Toph. "Couldja' help me down, please?"
Aang turned to assist his girlfriend--ahem, close - while an onlooking Sokka smirked and JJ made catcalls, while Katara skewered them with another deathly gaze.
Aang obliged, and mounted Appa to help the blind earthbender down, who was looking slightly green. Toph and Aang leapt from the back of the bison, (Toph making careful sure to land on JJs foot as she did so--who began shouting and swearing--) She then seized Aang around the neck and kissed him forcefully (even for her)on the lips. Aang backed away, dazedly, while Katara smacked JJ equally as forcefully on the back of the head, calling him an idiot, a fool, and anything else that came to mind just then.
Toph then glared at a still-smirking JJ, and said "Betcha wish you had that, huh?"
JJ came from behind Toph, tapping her gently on the shoulder. "Not from you, no, and-" he spun her around 180 degrees, and laughed. "I'm over here"
She went to deck him in the stomach--hard, as you'd guess-- but was interrupted by Aang, who pulled his friend out of harms way before any trips to the emergency room would be required.
Instead, he was seized around the midsection by Ty-Lee, who screamed "JJ!" sounding delighted "How're you doing!?"
JJ grinned, throwing Aang a wink and Taku a wicked smile (though he had no idea of what it meant) and said "Pretty...Uh, pretty good, Lee."
Taku grinned just as wickedly as JJ had done a moment before, and said loudly "JJ was doing pretty good, yeah." the grin reached a level of absolute evil (Aang actually feared for his friends life, just then, let alone his safety) Taku yawned, looking bored. "Yeah, he was able to date about four girls at once."
There was a few moments of shocked and horrified silence, and then: JJ sputtered wildly in reply while Ty-Lee began hammering every tangible inch of him she could reach (she would've beaten on his mind, too, she just couldn't reach that) as JJ futilely tried to shield himself in-between blows.
"Y-you moron!" screamed, infuriated "How dareyou do such a thing!?" she drew back for a barrage of pressure-points (let's call it the Ty-Lee barrage, shall we?) that would've left him numb (or unconscious, as she was aiming for) Had Taku not tearfully intervened.
"N-N-No! Lee!"he gasped, clawing for breath "JJ didn't cheat on you!" he breathed, finally "Trust me, he's completely loyal" (the wicked grin reappeared once more on his face, and JJ took a half-step back) "He's been house trained and everything."
Ty-Lee drew back from an equally thankful-and-angry-looking JJ, confused. "Then, why'd you-"
Aang waved his hands around in the air, while Katara rolled her eyes and Toph rolled in the dirt in hysterics. "I guess he felt like seeing JJ get beat up, is all, Lee."
CLANG
Taku was knocked to the ground as JJs--St. Jimmy's-- guitar impacted with his skull. Taku looked at JJ, no longer smiling, and said "Esse un po de fuori"
JJs response was to laugh and say "Actually, Taku, this time you're the nut case!!" He frowned, scratching his head. "Man, that sounded weird, normally, you're the calm one." He sighed "Must be losing my touch."
"HEY! AANG! TAKU! JJ! TOPH, KATARA, LEE!" The screamer breathed, momentarily. "DINNER!" It was Zuko, bizarrely, carrying a basketful of bread.
Dinner Table- begin 1st person
Everyone was sitting around the table, eating, drinking, yelling, playing poker. I couldn't really say anything with a mouthful of pasta (nothing that sounded like English, anyway) so I was content to stare mindlessly at everyone else sitting down, while listening to Taku and JJ argue over who'd gotten the better hand, with the unoccupied 98 percent of my brain.
"Flush!" cried JJ, laughing. "It still doesn't beat Four-of-a-Kind!" leaned forwards, about to take the pot, when I held up a finger, chewing quickly.
JJs smile slipped a notch south of where it usually was, and he said. "What's up, Avatar- I-I mean" he shook his head, embarrassed "Aang?"
I swallowed and smiled, looking at Taku "I've got the same thing as JJ does, but-" I dropped my hand of cards onto the table "Four-of-a-kind to the Queen!"
JJ cursed, grinning at me, while Taku laughed crazily into his glass. "You're lucky, Aang, you only beat me by a few ranks." I picked up the breadstick, using it as a cigar as Taku surfaced, dripping wet, saying "Uh...Wasn't Katara playing?"
He's competitive, I thought, smiling. He just hides it well, unlike JJ, who's a complete nut case (snickered at the unexpected irony) when it comes to this stuff.
I turned around to face Katara, who was chattering animatedly into Zuko's ear, while he listened, nodding every few seconds. She broke off, smiled, and said "I have no idea how to play this game, guys. But-" the smile didn't waver, even as she dropped a Straight Flush onto the table. "What's this worth?"
"You're joking"That was Taku. "Unbelievable."
JJ laughed, once again, while taking a drink, he pointed at Katara. "I gotta admit, either that was plain luck or raw skill."
I smiled, raising my glass in a toast (I couldn't think of anything else to do at the time) "I hate you, Katara" (though I said it good-naturedly) and she smiled, flipped me the bird, nudging us on "All-right! another hand!"
I stared at the other occupants of the table over the bridge of my nose (always there, as I could only see out of my right eye) And noticed Toph sitting across from Zuko and Katara, who were once again chatting the same way as before, while Toph stared blankly at the wall.
"Hey, Aang!" cried Taku "Whatcha' got?" (he'd obviously found a good hand, or else he probably wouldn't have bothered me.)
"Just a sec, Taku" I turned around, grinning purposefully, and laid out my hand on the table.
"Fold"
Any lower, and he would've unhinged his jaw.
I sat down beside Toph, who didn't seem to notice me when I sat down--she jumped when I tapped her on the shoulder--
"Hey."
She glanced at me, strangely (she was blind, it was going to be strange whether I wanted it that way or not) "Hey, Twinkle-Toes"
I shifted my weight slightly to one side, and said "So... What's up?"
She glanced at me again, sounding preoccupied. "Oh. Uh. Nothin' much, just thinking. Y'know?"
I grinned at her, then felt like an idiot because she couldn't see it. "What's the matter, Toph?" my grin faded, and I tried to look understanding "What's goin' on?"
"You're trying to look concerned, aren't you?" she laughed. "Nothing's the matter, man. I'm just really bored."she lowered her voice, moving closer "What's weird is-" she paused. "When we were under wartime, it was always crazy and chaotic and stuff because there was always something to do, yanno?"
I nodded vigorously, not altogether feeling the same way, but understanding what she meant, regardless. "Yeah, I know whatcha mean." I leaned back, sighing "I'm gladthis war is over, yeah." I looked at her "Though I miss the constant training and being forced to hang out with eachother."
"Yeah. When the war ended, everyone kinda drifted apart, and then we came together again."
I nodded. "Yup. So... You're saying we should spend more time together?"
She gave me a long look. "Is that what you think I'm saying?"
Flustered, I searched for a reply. "Well, uh," I scratched my head nervously "I-I...Yeah...I guess so."
She grinned at me, surprisingly. "Cool. Sounds good, Twinkle-toes. Aren't we" she nudged me, smiling slyly "Close friends?"
"Ummm... Yes.. Th-that is... If you still want to be."
She nodded confirmingly "I'd like that very much."
Well look at that, I'm not as much as an idiot as I thought!
The smile was replaced by an expression of sheer malevolence, which fit so perfectly the sentence it came along with. "Wanna play a game, Twinkle-Toes?"
My throat constricted, and my vision went all blurry for a second.
"U-Uh...Wh-What kind of game?" I Immediately brightened "You wanna play cards?"
I stand corrected, I'm even more've an idiot than I thought.
She shrugged, giving me an indifferent expression. "Nah, I'm not much into Poker." the devilish smile came back "We could go out back and fight,though." the grin widened, contorting her features to the point where it almost scared me (this may have just been my mind spinning crazily, trying to figure out what was about to happen to me) "I haven't fought you in ages, and the last one was a fluke."
I don't know why I nodded. I don't, I can't figure it out now, and I probably never will. But that fight was the domino that knocked everything into a downward spiral.
You know how one thing seems to make a whole ton of crap all go wrong, one after the other?(it works in reverse too.)
Well, the fight wasn't the domino. It was what happened after the fight which sent everything on a one-way trip to LoonyLand.