The Boy On the Ground

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Disclaimer: Don't own PJO or TLA

Chapter 8

Aang and Katara stood on the beach trying to make the far out water move. Toph sat close by, drawing in the sand.

It was nice and quiet and… normal.

"What do you guys think of Percy? Honestly?" Aang asked, moving his arms back and forth like a wave.

"I like him!" Toph announced. "He's pretty tough and he fights monsters! How cool is that?"

"I have to deal with spirits all the time." Aang pointed out.

Toph shrugged. "Not the same." She made a little man in the warm sand, then squished him.

"Truthfully, I like him too." Katara jumped in, stopping the fight that was sure to happen.

"You do?" Aang turned to look at her sadly.

She kept her eyes on the water, missing the love that Aang offered her. "Yeah, like Toph said, he's pretty cool and he seems like the kind of guy one can trust."

"I felt like that too." Aang said. "There's a power radiating off of him but I feel like I could trust him with anything."

"Hey Aang?" Toph asked.

"Yes Toph?"

Toph smashed her fist into the ground making a wall of earth under Aang, flinging him backwards. "Sneak Attack!"

While in the air Aang managed to push a good sized wave towards Toph, knocking her over.

"BEANDING BATTLE!" Katara cried as she launched herself

And that is how Zuko, Sokka and Percy found them later. Soaking wet, (except for Katara, she looked as if she had been attacked by air bender, her hair and clothes were everywhere) covered in dirt, out of breath and the edges of Toph's sleeves were smoking.

"What happened?" Sokka went into big brother mode. "Did somebody attack?"

"Nope, just a little bending battle." Aang said proudly, "I won!" He puffed out his chest.

"Did not!" Toph cried. "I did."

"Oh please." Katara flicked her hair back, "I think we all know who the real winner is."

"Yeah, ME!" Toph and Aang looked at each other in surprise then burst out laughing.

"Since when are you competitive?" Zuko asked Aang.

"I'm not competitive." Aang said, holding his ankles and rolling on the grass. "It's just a game we were playing… Which I happened to win."

"Ha!" Sokka yelled. "I knew you had a competitive side!" He folded his arms and smiled down at Aang.

"What's wrong with being competitive?" Percy asked.

"Is the word, 'competitive' starting to sound weird to anyone else?" Toph put in. Everyone stopped arguing and started say 'competitive' slowly and in different voices.

"It does sound weird!" Everyone agreed.

"Anyways, back to business." Zuko decided after a moment or two. "Let's go put the stuff away and then Percy has something to say."

"Alright," Everyone grabbed something. "Nice outfit, by the way." Katara complimented Percy.

He blushed and snorted. "Thanks."

Aang glared at his back.

Sitting down everyone turned to Percy, "Ok, here's the deal. I have to go on a quest to fix the breaking walls and you guys have to come with me." He blurted it in a rushed voice.

Toph sighed, "Boring! I totally saw that one coming, and I'm blind!" She waved a hand over her face.

"Umm, question!" Aang raised his hand like he was in a school room.

"Yeah?" Percy stopped glaring at Toph to look at Aang.

"How long will this take? We're kind of on a tight schedule and the deadline…" He trailed off.

"It's ok Aang." Sokka said, "We talked about it. You don't have to quite training while we go on a mini adventure. It'll practically be more training! And it's not like we're doing anything important right now."

"I wouldn't exactly call it a mini adventure." Percy commented. "Going on a quest is almost like a death wish."

Everyone was very serious now.

"I'm not going to force anyone to come though!" Percy said. "I'm going Zuko kind of has to stay with the Avatar to train him or whatever, but Sokka said he'd come with me if no one else did."

With a grim determined face, Sokka pulled his knees close to him.

"You didn't!" Katara gasped. "Sokka! You're going to turn your back on us?" She stood up. "On me?! I'm your sister! Dad said we need to protect each other!"

"Hey!" Sokka stood up too. "Nobody said anything about turning anyone's back! Percy needs help and I'm going to give it!"

"In no way is Sokka turning his back on you guys!" Percy joined the party and stood up. "Who said you were staying behind? My guess is you'll stay with Aang but nobody said where he was going!"

"I'll go with you no matter what!" Toph cried. "Besides, Sokka would be dead in minutes if I'm not there to protect him." She leaned against her boulder and grinned up at the older boy.

"Meh… probably." Sokka shrugged and grinned back.

"Ok, I kind of over reacted…" Katara sighed and touched her necklace. "Aang, I won't leave your side no matter what. I'm sorry Sokka but Aang needs me too."

Sokka nodded, "I understand. Aang, you need to decide where you're going to go."

Aang hadn't said anything yet. He stayed sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest. "I think I'm going to meditate on it for a bit." He said. He grabbed his glider and flew away. Momo trailing him.

"That kid has guts." Percy commented, "How old is he? 13? And the world is depending on him…" He shook his head. "That's never easy."

Katara snorted. "Like you would know. It's a living hell. And I'm not even the one everyone is counting on."

Percy laughed bitterly. "Trust me. I know all about hell on earth."

The very sun seemed darker for bit and everyone felt colder as they thought about just how serious the situation was.

"Hey!" Percy's happy attitude was back, pulling everyone alone with him. "Do you think you could show me some more bending?"

Percy pleaded like a puppy and Katara couldn't help but laugh at him. "Sure Percy, what element first?"

"Ha!" Toph smashed her fist into her hand. "We all know earth is the kick butt element."

Zuko rolled his eyes, Katara shook her head. "Oh Toph… you never learn. Earth is the element for big tough bullies, fire is for jerks, air is dead and so that leaves water." She grabbed Percy's wrist. "Come on, I'll show you how it's done." They ran off with Sokka following them.

"Water tribe, wimps!" He called over his shoulder.

"Did that just happen?" Zuko asked Toph.

"Ok, so what's first Katara?" Percy and Katara stood waist deep, Katara's back to shore so that the water was the right depth for both of them.

"First," Katara grinned, this was her first student other than Aang. "Is that it is Sifu Katara. Got it?"

Percy smiled at her. He would play along. "Of course… Sifu Katara." He bowed his head in mock respect.

The girl couldn't help but giggle. "Now, unlike the earth the water likes direction. You don't need to command it, just gently push it in the way you want it to go, but I'm guessing you already knew that."

Percy shook his head. "I did not know that because it's all wrong!" He splashed his hands in the water by his side.

"Excuse me?"

"That water doesn't like be told what to do."

"That water isn't alive."

"Isn't it though? The water is dangerous, it's unpredictable, it hates being restrained, it's rebellious."

"Sure." Katara looked a little weirded out. "How about I just show you some moves? It's obvious we have very different views on the water."

Percy nodded. "Sounds good."

"Great! so anyways. Water benders got their power from the moon, they saw it pushed and pulled the water and learned from it."

"Ooookk. The moon and I aren't exactly best friends though."

"The moon is very kind and gentle and loving!" Sokka yelled from the shore.

"Uggh!" Katara was getting frustrated. "Just do this!" She pulled a long strand of water out of the waves and held it above her head in a circle. Percy didn't move.

"Well?" She asked.

"I'm trying!" Percy said.

"No you're not! You have to move."

"No I don't!"

Katara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's try something else." The water dropped. They moved shallower. "Just push and pull the water." Katara moved her hands and showed him, just the way she had showed Aang so long ago. She felt the water being moved but again Percy wasn't moving.

"Now stop the waves." She said. They stopped, Percy looked bored. But soon a mischievous glint came into his eyes.

They waited for a few seconds while Katara watched. "BIG WAVES NOW!" Percy yelled. Suddenly the water exploded and a huge wave crashed over Katara's head.

She was not impressed.

"AHAHAHAH!" Percy looked about ready to die he was laughing so hard. He rolled onto his back and floated in the water, laughing at Katara's face. "Oh come on!" He defended himself finally. "I know how to move the water already! Just teach me how to fight with it like you do!"

"Fine," She said, she took a stance. "Looks like you only learn from doing, so let's do it."

Aang sat crossed legged on the fresh, green mountain side. Momo circled overhead, chasing a bug.

Taking a deep breath, Aang waited. He knew he couldn't go into the spirit world, thanks to Azula, but it felt good to sit quietly and just be. No crazy spirit, no angry fire nation, no bustling citizen, no insane bender. Just Aang.

After a while Aang felt inclined to actually focus on the issue. He took deep breaths, completely ignoring Mom and started thinking. Thoughts about Percy filled his head.

Percy falling from the sky, Percy waking up, Percy under the water, Percy sword fighting with Sokka, Percy earth bending and water bending, Percy Percy Percy! Until new scene of Percy showed up.

Aang felt himself slipping out of his body.

Percy as a young boy, probably only 12 himself, wrestling with a huge black dog, a dozen arrows entered its body, dissolving into yellow dust, a bright blue trident symbol glowed above his head while a bunch of kids bowed.

The place shifted.

Percy standing in the ocean, a little older now, facing off with a huge man with one blood shot damaged eye in the middle of his forehead. Next came Percy sword fighting with a yellowed haired boy, blue eyed, older boy. Yellow hair? Aang tried to look again but they were moving.

Again Aang saw Percy even older than before, sifting through garbage calling out to someone. Than Percy taking a heavy weight from a beautiful woman. It looked ready to crush him but he stood firm. Percy standing before 12 disapproving giants while they debated something.

Percy standing in an arena holding his sword to another boys throat, than he slowly lifted it away. Percy standing before a coffin, Aang could feel the coldness and evil radiating off of it, and he wasn't even there. The next scene showed Percy in full out battle. Percy was fighting like a madman, the horrible beasts were winning though, until a terrible sound drove them back. It shook Aang's bones.

Before he had time to think he saw Percy, only a little younger than what he was now. Fighting again in full out war. All the noise and action disappeared and was replaced with a gloomy red glow, Percy was walking into a river of fire it looked like, his face showing immense pain, but he kept on going. Percy was fighting back to back with a very pretty girl, with yellow hair, Aang only had time to wonder before she jumped in front of a knife about to be plunged into Percy's side. He screamed in agony as she fell. Aang was getting dizzy but it wasn't over yet. Percy stood over the yellow haired boy with blue eyes, except his eyes kept going from blue to gold. Finally Percy handed him a bronze dagger, than everything went black. The last picture showed Percy and the yellow haired girl under water in a large air bubble, kissing.

Aang blushed but he felt happy for Percy, he seemed to have gone through a lot of crap.

"This is my son." A voice said, Aang smelt salt water. "He will die to protect anyone, keep him safe."

When Aang awoke it was sunset, the mountain side burned with a beautiful red. Momo cocked his head to one side as he studied Aang.

"That. Was crazy." Aang said, he felt his head. "Come on Momo. We have to go find the others."

Aang grabbed his glider from where it lay in the grass and ran off the cliff. Wind whistled through his ears as he let himself fall through the clouds. The ground came nearer and Aang decided to fly, he opened up his glider and started riding the winds upwards. Momo followed him, chattering happily. Aang realized he felt freer then he had in a long time. Laughter bubbled up inside him, he couldn't hold it in. If one would have looked up he would have seen a young boy, free from the world.

While Aang dove through white clouds the images he had seen came back to him. With a start he realized something he hadn't before.

Percy had been with friends through it all. The yellow haired girl had almost always been there, plus others that he hadn't seen the first time.

The thought made Aang happy as he remembered his own friends. They would never let him face his problems alone.

Sure, Toph was annoying, Sokka immature, Zuko depressing, Katara oblivious, Suki always right… They all had faults but they loved him and he loved them.

Stopping himself from thinking about his old friends he thought about Percy, he was sure they were going to be friends, but he was positive Percy had his faults too.

I'm fairly certain this is the longest chapter I've ever written….. I'm exhausted. ;)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

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