The Boy on the Ground
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Disclaimer: Don't own PJO or TLA
Chapter 12
"What's your problem?" Zuko asked frustrated. Aang's fire bending was not going well today.
"It's nothing." Aang said, he turned away from Zuko so he couldn't see his pained expression.
"Come on," Zuko coaxed, "I know it's something."
It was times like this when Aang looked at Zuko and saw a friend and almost a big brother.
"Well, last night I had a dream-" He told Zuko everything about the dream, "-and now that I see that it's my fault again that the world is in danger…"
"Hey, it's not your fault!" Zuko said, he had listened quietly but now it was his turn to talk. "You didn't ask Azula to shoot you in the back! You didn't want to be frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years! None of this is your fault."
"It's the fates." Zuko and Aang turned around to see Percy and Sokka standing there, each wielding their swords.
Waking up to the sound of firebending isn't always the best, especially when you've only just learned what firebending is.
Percy jolted off of Appa's leg where he had been sleeping and looked around, grouping for riptide. The sound of training had once again woken him up. He muttered a few choice curse words before falling back on Appa. Swearing, although does relive tension doesn't help problems, like the fact Percy couldn't fall asleep again because of the loud noises.
After trying to bury his head in the soft fur belonging to Appa, Percy decided he should just get it over with and get up.
Stumbling around the corner Percy bumped into a drowsy Sokka.
"Whoa!"
They both jumped back, alert and awake now.
"Morning." Sokka greeted.
Percy nodded. "What are you doing up so early?" He asked.
"The jerks woke me up with their jerkbending." Sokka nodded towards the sound of Aang and Zuko.
"Jerkbending?"
"Yeah… the Fire Nation is evil, and Zuko was too, for the longest time. Do you know how many times he's tried to kill us? Firebending makes jerk, thus the jerkbending."
Percy nodded. "I guess that could be a valid reason."
"Zuko has earned our trust, he's saved our lives a few times now, and he helped me break my dad and girlfriend out of prison."
"That's good…" Percy hesitated, "Why were they in prison?"
"War prisoners." Sokka's face darkened.
"Oh…"
"Yeah…"
Percy started fidgeting, he fumbled with Riptide in pen form. "Hey, since we're both up, want to practice a little swordplay?"
Sokka grinned, "Of course I would! I just need to go get my sword… it's still in my tent."
"Kay, I'll come with you."
They started walking towards Sokka's tent together, talking about different styles of swordplay and what-not. They got Sokka's sword and started walking away to find a place to practice when they heard Zuko talking.
"None of this is your fault!" He was saying.
"It's the fates." Percy blurted out when they were close enough.
Aang and Zuko turned around to see the two.
"What?"
"The fates… they decide your destiny, when you'll die, who you'll marry. They fates control everything." Percy explained, red in the face.
"Well, that's not frightening." Zuko commented airily.
Percy grinned bitterly. "And the best part? You never get used to it…" Than he saw how freaked out Aang was. "Uhh, you know, if you don't piss them off, you're going to be ok." He tried to fix the hole he had dug, "Really, and if you see a string get cut that doesn't necessarily mean you yourself is going to die! That's what happened to me and then it was really…" He stopped babbling and realized he sounded like a madman…again. "How about we just go practice?" Percy asked Sokka, who only nodded.
*At the sword fighting class held by the amazing Percy Jackson!*
"Don't you just love sword play?" Percy asked slyly. They started circling around each other, feeling the others defences.
"Of course," Sokka returned, he understood that Percy was trying to distract him, "who doesn't?"
Percy lunged, Sokka blocked.
"Mostly monsters. They think it's a horrible way to die."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
Sokka swiped, Percy sidestepped and smacked his back with the flat of his blade.
They went on in that way for a while before the real fight started, lunge after lunge, stab after swipe, Sokka was a fast learner and had remember almost everything about the last lesson. It was a fight worth watching.
They were so engrossed in the battle that they didn't notice a sleepy Toph, or a sweaty Aang and a grim Zuko, or even a watchful Katara appear to watch.
Both boys were exhausted, so Percy decided to end the fight. Sokka swung the sword at Percy's legs, Percy jumped at landed on the blade, causing Sokka to drop it. Percy leveled his own sword at Sokka's throat.
"Dead."
"Awww!" he slumped down as he went to retrieve his sword.
"You're a lot better than you were like, two days ago!" Percy told him.
"Gee, thanks." Sokka said.
Momo chirped and landed on Sokka's head. He tugged on the boys ears.
"Thanks Momo."
"Hey," Percy swung his sword absent mindedly. "My compliment was sincere too!"
"I really felt the love."
"Good, it was just chock full of love."
The others on the sidelines laughed quietly before they heard a noise.
"Aang?" Katara asked nervously, she moved so that she was closer to him and stood protectively there.
"Toph? What is it? What does it feel like?" He asked.
"I don't know! It's really weird…. It feels like, snake women or something."
Sokka and Percy came over to investigate. Percy's eyes went wide as he recognized the noise.
"Percy! What is it?" Toph demanded. "You know!"
"Everyone go back to Appa." Percy ordered. "I'll handle these."
"What are they though?" Aang asked.
"Toph said they felt like snake women." Katara added.
Percy looked at Toph with an impressed look on his face. "Really? Well done. That's exactly what they are."
Zuko and Sokka exchanged glances. "Are they… from your world?" Zuko asked. The hissing came closer.
"Yes, now GO!"
"Hey! Why can't I fight them?" Toph demanded.
"This isn't your fight." Sokka told her.
"We'd better leave." Katara said, she took hold of Toph's hand. "We'll go pack up and pick you up in a second." She told Percy, who was looking intently towards the noise that was steadily getting louder.
Aang glanced at Percy. "You guys go." He decided. "I'll stay here with Percy."
Percy turned to smile down at Aang. "Thanks man, but it only sounds like two or three. I can handle it." In the distance, out of the clearing, seven echidna bust forth.
"Never mind, you can stay." He said to Aang.
Katara's hand moved to the water pouch on her hip but she didn't open it, she felt Zuko tence up beside her. "We have to go, NOW."
She turned to Aang, "Be careful. We'll get Appa and come get you in a second."
Aang nodded. "Stay safe!"
Zuko hesitated. "Sure you'll be ok?" He asked. Aang only nodded.
Percy seemed oblivious to the others as they ran off. He grinned at Aang, "Ready?"
Aang shrugged, he'd seen/fought weird stuff before.
Percy raised his sword and closed the small distance between the two groups.
Sorry it took so long for such a small chapter! I'm a little bit ashamed.
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