Okay, this is designed to be a multi-chapter work detailing the complications of Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, the Aang Gaang, and Zuko. Iroh will get tea, 'nuff said. Reviews are appreciated, and necessary to shut my nagging mouth. Comments, complaints, and flames will all be greatly appreciated. As you may see there will be slash, if no actual romance, because romance takes effort.

The main plot device will be the "Cave of Two Lovers," as well as Ty Lee and Toph. There will be non-mainstream pairings, as well as a temporal a-linearity. In simple terms, that means it will be hard to pin down exactly "when" this story happens. An example is that Azula is chasing the Avatar through the Two Lovers Cave, but Zuko is also. I guess this will take place during "The Chase," but in the Cave instead of that little deserted town-thing.

Also, there will be cussing, Shoujo-ai(F/F pairing(s)), and Yaoi(M/M Pairing(s)if I have time). That said, I have taken the time to warn you, the reader, of possible controversial plot points. If you flame me, I will laugh at you! I really don't care what people who can't take five minutes to read warnings have to say on what they "believe" is Immoral, Illegal, or Fattening...because that basically consists of everything good in life.

Those who find the warning itself offensive, I couldn't care less. It needed to be said, so I'm saying it in the most blunt manner possible to avoid any and all misunderstandings. After reading all of this, if you still want to read the below story, let it be said that you are a far braver (man/woman/something else) than I. Note-Aang does not know Earthbending yet!

I don't own Avatar

Underworld

Ch.1-Friction or Fire in the Whole

Azula was going to kill Ty Lee. Some small, logical portion of her brain protested that the acrobat couldn't have known that blocking an Earthbender's Qui, while she was Earthbending, in an underground cavern, would have caused said underground cavern to collapse. That small, logical part of her brain was immediately quashed by her overwhelming rage.

Rage that was certainly not being helped by…

"Hey princess, slow down."

How the word "princess" could sound so derogatory had escaped her until just recently. It must have been the fact that an Earthbender was saying it. Or maybe it was the girl's seemingly unique gift for biting sarcasm.

Either way, it wasn't helping Azula's sudden desire for char broiled peasant.

"Do you have your bending back, yet?" Azula grated out.

"Nope, gotta' admit, your friend was thorough. I'd be crawling around right now if it wasn't for four things." Toph smiled.

Azula paused, her eye twitching as she watched the low flame flicker on her finger. She had to be careful expending oxygen in this cave environment, but she needed to see all the same, if only to save herself the embarrassment of walking into a wall or caved in section of tunnel. If the latter happened, they would be in trouble, as they lacked a functioning Earthbender.

"What?" Azula asked, nearly snapping when it became apparent that the Earthbender wasn't going to elaborate.

"Huh?" Toph asked, smirking when the normally icy Azula's composure fractured. "Oh, that. Smell, Sound, Touch, and Taste."

Azula grudgingly ceded credit to the Earthbender. She had heard of the theory, but never seen anyone up to the challenge of using four senses to take the place of an absent fifth. Still, she was Earthbending filth.

"Geez, don't you talk? Just walking like this is soooo boring!"

Azula's eye twitched. Didn't she ever shut up? "I am restraining myself from killing you on the chance that you might be essential to my escape from the damned cavern in the near future. Be thankful that I've granted you this small reprieve."

There was a sudden, blissful silence that Azula didn't fail to appreciate.

That made it all the more irritating when Toph spoke again.

"Well excuse me, your highness, I was unaware that I was such an enormous burden on your royal back! I'll have you know that if I had my bending right now, I'd show you just how much a boulder cares about your attitude…sparky."

There was that twitch again. More powerful this time, like a low-level seizure. Absently, she noted lightning coursing down her right arm. No one. No one, not even little ZuZu had had the…impertinence to call her…anything of the like. It was infuriating, frustrating, and…

Immeasurably desirable.

Azula's throat seized on the last thought, her body froze as if that water-bending peasant had chilled her to the bone. She hadn't just…had she?

No.

The answer was, had to be, No.

"So, Angry Boy's your brother?" Toph asked, on a sudden tangent.

Azula bit back a smirk. For an Earthbender, the peasant did have an admirable attitude towards associations. Seeing as she was Earth Kingdom, she couldn't associate with the upper echelon of Fire Nation royalty, under normal circumstances at least, but the Avatar-the single strongest Bender in existence-was a close second. In addition, her sarcasm and nicknames, given the proper direction, could be quite amusing.

"Yes. However, ZuZu lacks the proper amount of personal honor and recognition from our father to be considered the Crown Prince he, at one time, was." Azula smiled wolfishly.

"You don't sound too broken up over it," Toph noted.

"Why should I be?" The Fire Princess asked with a raised eyebrow, not that Toph was in any position to appreciate it. "That leaves me as Ozai's favorite, not that I wasn't before, and the lone heir to the throne."

"And as long as you stay at Daddy's beck and call, you get to stay that way," Toph added.

The twitch was back.

"I've cut off limbs for comments like that," Azula replied acidly.

"Go ahead. I bet we'll get out of here so much faster," Toph nodded.

It was at that point Azula noticed that they had been standing still for the last several moments. She began to walk again, the nearly silent footsteps of her companion padding along behind her. How the Earthbender was able to make her way so sure-footedly was still largely a mystery to her.

"Why'd Angry Boy get thrown out of the Hot House anyway?" Toph asked mildly.

Twitch.

Dammit.

"He spoke up during a War Meeting at my Father's table, out of turn, and dishonored Father. To settle the dispute, he was called to an Agni Kai, a fire duel. He thought the decrepit general would be his opponent. The day of the duel, he and Lord Ozai matched off. He begged Father to allow him to apologize. He was weak."

"And Dear old Dad banished him?" Toph finished, raising an eyebrow. The gesture was not lost on Azula, who found it somewhat disconcerting the Earthbender would find fault in her story. It wasn't a mere moral difficulty, Azula knew. For all of her faults, that virtue was high on the list of positive attributes the Fire Princess found in her…friends.

"What?"

Toph set her hands behind her head, taking a new, leisurely pace that irked Azula somewhat. The Earthbender might have all the time in the world, but Azula did not.

"He was set up. Ozai wanted him out and prodded the general to suggest an arguable course of action, knowing Angry Boy would let his hot head get the better of him." Toph elaborated.

Azula raised an eyebrow at the speech. "And here I was of the opinion that all Earth Kingdom peasants were lowly educated. Perhaps you would make a good lackey after all. Even Mai lacks those reasoning abilities."

Toph snorted, showing once again her…enticingly disdainful attitude towards authority.

"Three things: I'm not some peasant. My name is Toph Bei Fong. Next, I'd rather be dumped in the middle of the ocean than serve under you. Finally, if Ozai dumped your bro, why are you so sure that he won't do the same to you?"

"As much as I am loathe to admit it, the fact is that I obey my Father's orders to the letter, and therefore, am subject to his good favor,' Azula smiled coldly.

"A dead end," The Fire Princess stated distastefully.

Toph nodded and hummed. "Let's set up camp then,"

Azula stayed still, caught in limbo between the idea of wandering the seemingly endless tunnels of the "Cave of Two Lovers," and spending an extended period of time unconscious with a filthy Earthbender.

Eventually the soreness of mind and body took hold over her repulsion and she looked to unpack her supplies…

Only to realize that she had left the full complement of her gear back on her steed. Palming her face in exasperation, Azula wondered what more could possibly go wrong today.

Toph was busy unpacking a rolled up mattress and blanket. Stores of dried provisions came next, as Azula realized how hungry she was. Even Earth Kingdom food was better than an empty stomach. The growl it issued forth must have alerted the little Bei Fong to her lack of supplies, and the result was...surprising to say the least.

"I don't have enough for two full meals, so we'll have to ration it. Some now, some in the…morning, whenever that is. As for sleeping arrangements…you can sleep on the ground or…"

Twitch.

Double Dammit.

No. She wouldn't even entertain the notion. It was deplorable, galling, and revolting. Had it been Mai or Ty Lee, it would have been an acceptable, however distasteful hardship.

The soreness of her feet, on the other hand, attested to the hardness of the ground.

"Back to back. No Touching." Azula demanded.

"Yes your highness," Toph grumbled.

In case you're stil here feel free to tell me what you like/found offensive/or hated. Those of you who were truly entertained may find my Teen Titans one-shot entertaining as well. I am considering expanding that to multi-chapter also. Feel free to comment on that too.