Here is The Boy On The Ground. Take two!

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Avatar: The Last Airbender

Chapter 4

"To cross over is a dangerous game

All who must do it will come to great pain

New friends and old

Will do as they're told

To fix what now is broken

With words that now are spoken

Travel up, will the game

Travel down, perish in flame" Percy quoted, "Did I get it right?"

"How did you remember all that?" Aang asked, he was sitting up again and was already feeling better.

Percy shrugged, "I've had practice." He went into a thoughtful silence while the others exchanged worried glances.

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Katara asked.

Percy looked up at her, confused. "I just did, didn't I? Aang spoke a prophesy... I'm not ever sure how it's possible considering he's a dude and all. It means I've got a quest."

"What did the 'prophesy' mean?" Sokka asked. "It seemed pretty random to me."

Percy had lapsed into a silence again when a large hawk flew into the clearing. It had a red badge on it and a small note tied to it's leg. It screeched and landed on the edge of the pot.

"Hawky!" Sokka yelled. He lunged for the hawk and pulled the letter off it's leg. He held it in the air triumphantly for a moment before beginning to struggle with the seal.

"Hawky?" Percy asked skeptically.

Suki nodded and smiled at Sokka who was still trying to figure out how to open the letter. "I love him to bits but he can be a little childish at times."

Toph snorted. "A little childish? At times? Oh please, I guess love really is blind." She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Oh no, wait. I'm blind and even I can see Sokka is a complete bimbo with the mental range of a rock."

"You're blind?" Percy asked, studying her again. He didn't know what to make of this sassy, little, blind girl.

She stuck out her chin at him. "Yeah? What's it to you?" She asked defensively.

Percy held up his hands in surrender. "Nothing. It's cool."

Sokka stuck out his tongue at Toph. "Well, if I'm such a kid why did I get a letter and not you?"

"I dunno Sokka. Maybe because, like I just said, I'm blind?"

"Just read your letter, Sokka." Katara begged.

Sokka took a deep breath and began reading it. His shoulders slumped and his smile disappeared. "It's for you." He dejectedly handed the letter over to a surprised Suki.

"For me?" She took it and her eye's scanned over the first few lines.

"Awe!" Aang cooed at Sokka teasingly. "Did you not get a letter?"

"What does it say?" Katara asked Suki.

"It's about my Kyoshi Warriors." She said. "They're being moved."

"Moved?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, moved. To a different prison. The Boiling Rock, to be exact." She and Sokka both shuddered.

"The who are being moved to what now?" Percy asked. He felt left out of the conversation.

"Kyoshi Warriors." Suki explaned quickly. "A group of girls who follow the way of Avatar Kyoshi... I was sort of the leader before we left to help in the war." Her eyes looked sad.

"So what happened?" Percy asked softly.

"We were captured. And since I was the leader I was put in a different prison then the rest of them, The Boiling Rock."

"How did you escape?" Percy was completely captivated now.

Suki smiled proudly. "These two rock heads showed up and got me out." She gestured to Sokka and Zuko. "Anyways, They girls are being moved because they were causing too much trouble in their last prison." Her eye's shone with pride. "Those are my girls! But I have to go after them."

"What?" Everyone except Percy screamed, he felt left out again.

"I have to!" Suki defended herself.

"No." Sokka said decidedly, he grabbed her hand. "I can't let you."

"And why not?" Suki wrenched her hand out of his. "You went to rescue your dad and ended up getting me, your dad, and Chit Sang out."

"Sounds like a successful rescue mission." Percy mused. Everyone ignored him.

"That was completely different!" Sokka argued.

"How Sokka?" Suki demanded. "How was that possibly different?"

Sokka hesitated for a split second. "Because I wasn't in danger of losing you then!" He burst out. Immediately, he blushed and looked at the ground.

Everyone went silent and it clicked in Percy's mind that they were a couple. They way Sokka always stood protectively over her when she was more then capable of protecting herself. It was exactly like him and Annabeth.

"Sokka..." Suki's voice was soft. "Sokka, you're not going to lose me. I can handle myself. I know when the fight is too great and I'll leave if I can't do anything. But this is something I need to try. The girls need to see me, they need to see that I'm free and fighting. And I need to try everything in my power to get them out too." Her voice went even quieter so tht only Sokka could hear. "You know how bad it was in there, I only imagine it's gotten worse since we escaped."

Percy watched as a small battle happened in Sokka's mind. Finally he decided he wasn't going to win this fight, and so he just pulled Suki close to him.

"Kick some Fire Nation butt for me, okay?"

"You know it." Suki grinned and hugged him back furiously.

.

Within half an hour she was ready to leave. Dressed in Fire Nation clothes with enough food to last a few days. She said goodbye to everyone together, except Sokka. He stood a little way off, sulking.

Suki walked up to Percy. "Listen," She said, jabbing her finger into his chest. "If I find out you did anything to anyone in this group, I will find you and make you regret it for the rest of your life, which will not be very long. Do I make myself clear?"

Percy mock saluted and grinned. "Yes, Ma'am."

She turned on her heel and went to say her last goodbye to Sokka. She tapped him on the back and he turned slowly. They clasped the lower part of the other's arm in the way two soldiers would, and then they embraced.

"Goodbye, Sokka" Suki whispered.

"I love you." He whispered back.

She slowly untangled herself from him and with one last pained expression, she was gone.

Sokka watched her for a few minutes and they allowed him that. They all knew what it was like to have someone you love walk away.

"Alright." Sokka clapped his hands and shook his head, as if he was clearing it. "We need a team meeting."

"Who made you king of team meetings?" Toph grumbled as she sat down in the soft grass. It was around noon and the hot sun was beating down on all of them, making them tired and lazy.

"We need to figure out what to do with him." Sokka started off, jabbing is thumb in the direction of Percy.

"I'm literally sitting right here." Percy said.

"I think we're supposed to help him on his... What did he call it? A quest?" Katara said.

"Well, thanks. Help is hard to-"

"Oh please, Katara. This is serious. We don't have any time to waist and Sozin's Comet coming nearer every day. Aang still has lots of training to do."

"Who's comet? What does that have to do with-"

"I feel the same as Katara!" Aang put in. "There's a connection between us and Percy."

"Oh, wow. I'm flattered and all but I have a girlfriend."

"You can't actually believe in all these "connections" and "special feelings" and all." Toph was currently lying on her back with her feet in the air. "Why don't we just go for the ride and knock a few heads here and there?" She waved her hands in the air. "We haven't knocked heads in a long time."

"As long as it's not my head we can-"

"Knocking Fire Nation heads is good." Sokka mused. He stroked his chin. "I miss my beard."

"You need to go through puberty before you can get a beard."

Toph burst out laughing and sat up to high-five Percy, who looked embarrassed that someone had heard his last comment.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Zuko, what's your opinion?" She asked the silent fire bender.

He looked out from under his hair and stared right at Percy while he talked. "I will follow the Avatar in whatever he decides." He said at last. "But if you want to know what I think we should do is this. We need to know what it is exactly we'd be doing to help in in the first place." His mild amber eyes held a steady gaze with the green eyes of the other boy. Percy had the impression that they would light up in the most brilliant gold if he showed any emotion other then the grumpy demeanor he'd had all day.

The staring match could have gone on all day had Aang not cleared his throat.

"Well?" He asked.

Percy broke eye contact and looked at Aang. "What?"

"What are we going to be helping you with?" Aang asked, frustrated.

"Oh." Percy quickly repeated the prophesy in his mind before answering. "Well, you see, last night, I had a dream..."

"I did too!' Sokka interrupted. "Momo was being mean to me again." He stuck out his lower lip and pouted.

"Who's Momo?" Percy asked, then he shook his head. "Don't answer that, it's not important. Anyways, I had a dream and there was this old guy with a red robe and crazy white hair and..." He hesitated. "Blue, glowing eyes."

The group stared at him blankly and Percy regretted telling them that.

"You saw Avatar Ruko?" Aang asked after a minute of silence.

"You know him?" Percy countered.

"I guess..." Aang scratched his head. "He was my past life so I guess you could say we know each other."

"Okay, whatever." Percy decided to ignore that last one. "He told me to leave his world or whatever... Then I saw, well, I didn't see him, but I talked to my dad and he said I have to fix the wall that's separating the worlds or something."

"You keep saying that." Zuko interrupted.

"Saying what?"

"'Different worlds' and stuff." Zuko shrugged. "You can't actually be implying you're from a different world."

"He hasn't lied since we started talking." Toph put in.

"But what about Azula?" Sokka challenged. "You couldn't feel if she was lying either."

Zuko's head shot up. "When did you meet Azula?"

"During the invasion."

"Oh."

"Anyways, this is completely different." Toph defended herself. "Do you honestly think this bimbo could lie that well?"

"Hey!" Percy looked offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Can we please go back to the original topic?" Katara asked, exasperated.

"I thought I was ADHD." Percy muttered. "So what happened to Aang was he was possessed by the Spirit of Delphi, which told a prophesy through him. Now I've got a quest and you guys are supposed to help me."

"Why us?" Sokka asked. He picked up a bowl of fruit sitting by him and ate a purple plum. "We're kind of busy at the moment."

"Because," Percy said through clenched teeth. "Why else would I land in your camp, or Aang be possessed by the Spirit of Delphi? It's The Fates." He didn't like convincing people to help him. He'd rather do it himself sometimes.

"We do have a deadline..." Aang looked at all the uncertain faces of his friends. He wished Percy would go away and take his problems to someone who could handle them."

"Oh, come on!" Toph yelled. "You guys aren't actually buying this, are you?" She stood up. "All this, 'different worlds' and quest stuff, you don't really believe it, do you?"

"You said he wasn't lying!" Sokka countered.

Toph stomped on the ground, the earth around Percy moved and closed around his waist and downwards in a second.

All the colour drained from Percy's face as he tried to understand what had happened. "Wha- how did you do that?" He squeaked out. He looked ready to pee his pants.

"What?" Toph challenged. "Never seen an earth bender before? Cause I'm the best there is! Nobody can stand against The Blind Bandit!" She raised her small arms over her head in a victory stance.

Sokka rolled his eye's, unimpressed. "That was your name before you joined the group... You can't have a solo title."

"Why not?" She demanded. "Aang gets to be the Avatar."

Katara tossed her hair and scoffed. "Please, Aang doesn't get to be the Avatar. He has to be."

"What even is an Avatar or an earth bender?!" Percy yelled, his lower body was still encased by earth.

Everyone turned their attention back to him.

"You've never seen a bender?" Zuko leaned forwards curiously.

Percy shook his head, squirming.

"So you've never seen this?" Zuko held out his hand and a bright flame burned just above it. The fire danced across his palm in a beautiful, lively way.

"Or this?" Aang flicked his wrist and a blast of wind hit Percy in the face, pushing his tousled hair back.

"Or this?" Katara moved her slim arms up and the water from her bowl flowed up and weaved it's self over Sokka's head.

"And I've just shown you this." Toph hit the ground again and a large boulder broke from the surface of the ground and floated behind her, it quivered as if it was excited that it had been chosen.

Percy shook his head, unable to talk. All of the new things he was trying to learn were starting to overwhelm him. He tugged dejectedly at the earth that was imprisoning him, knowing it was useless to try to run.

"Are there more like you?" He asked, his voice came out high and quivering.

"Of course." Katara told him. "We all come from different places. The Water Tribes, that's Sokka and I, the Earth Kingdom, that's Toph, and the Fire Nation, which is where Zuko is from."

"But that's only three." Percy said, he looked over at Aang. "Where are you from?"

Aang looked away and stayed quiet. Too late, Percy realized it must be a touchy subject.

"Aang is an Air Nomad." Katara continued quietly. "They were all wiped out a hundred years ago by the Fire Nation. Aang is the last one, he's also the Avatar. Which makes him special."

"A hundred years?" Percy looked at Aang, almost expecting him to turn into a hundred year old man in front of his eyes. He stayed the same little kid as before and didn't change.

Aang nodded, his big, grey eyes shone. "It's long story."

Percy decided to drop it. Obviously Aang didn't want to talk about it.

"Last question for now... What exactly is an Avatar?"

Katara opened up her mouth to explain but Sokka's hand shot up. "Oh! The Avatar is the bridge between the physical world and the Spirit World. He or she is the only one who can bend all four elements and because of the power they hold it's their job to keep balance and peace in the world. When the Avatar goes into the Avatar state, all their past lives come and their eye's and or tattoo's glow and they get all scary."

Sokka finished and took a deep breath.

"Wow, I'm impressed." Aang gave him a thumbs up.

"Can you move the water too?" Percy asked Sokka.

He shook his head. "Nope, I'm a non-bender, if that's what you mean. But you could say I'm the Weapons-and-plans-guy!" He grinned, not looking disappointed by his title.

"So why are you guys hiding out?"

Toph groaned. "You said last question!"

"Aang is the Avatar-" Katara started, ignoring Toph.

"We just said that, Sugar Queen." Toph snapped.

"Shut up, Dirt Girl."

"Dirt Girl? You can refer to me as The Blind Bandit or The Runaway!"

"I'll take this one!" Aang declared loudly. "So a hundred years ago, the Fire Nation declared war on the rest of the world and the first thing they did was wipe out the entire Air Nomad race because they knew the next Avatar was an air bender, and they knew the Avatar would stop them from taking over. I had run away before I knew any of this though but now I'm back and we've been fighting the Fire Nation ever since."

"Isn't he Fire Nation?" Percy jerked his head towards Zuko, who glared.

"Yeah, he was actually the prince of the Nation. But his dad is kind of crazy so Zuko left and joined us and is now teaching me fire bending!"

"Well, that's... Really brave." Percy looked impressed.

"Don't make me a hero." Zuko snarled.

"Hey!" Percy spoke up. "I know a lot of people who did terrible things and yet still died a hero because they did the right thing at the last minute. Anyone can be a hero."

Aang gulped. "Died?"

"Was there butt kicking involved?" Toph asked

Katara smacked her head because of how insensitive she was being.

"Yeah... Mine." Percy smiled sadly. "If it weren't for them, I would've been killed a long time ago."

"Is your world in a war, too?" Aang asked softly.

Percy shook his head and tugged at his earth bonds again, it was getting incredibly uncomfortable. "We just finished one." He studied the ground and realized Toph wasn't planning on letting him go anytime soon. An idea popped into his mind, his dad was the god of oceans but one of his titles was, 'Earth Shaker." Would that make him able to 'earth bend' as they called it?

"If you're trying to earth bend, you're doing it wrong." Toph said.

Percy blushed when he realized she could tell what he had been trying to do.

"Twinkle Toes! Recite!" She jabbed a thumb in Aang's direction.

Aang's back straightened. "To move a rock you must be a rock, face it head on and command it. Don't take 'no' for an answer." He looked at Toph expectantly.

"Well done, pupil!" She congratulated him.

Everyone studied Percy as he closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, the earth holding him down broke off and flew away. Percy looked up, dumbfounded.

"I thought you weren't a bender."

Jeez, this one was hard... SO much dialogue! Thanks for being so patient guys!

You guy should give me one song that I should listen too. I seriously like any music if it's good. (Don't give me Taylor Swift or Katy Perry, those two just really bug me :/ )

I'll give you one too!

It's The End Of The World As We Know It- Great Big Sea