Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or A:TLA

Chapter 15

"There it is." Zuko announced, point in this distance.

"It's huge." Katara breathed in amazement.

"Yeah... I guess you could say that." Zuko's voice was bitter. How many times had he, Azula, Ty-lee and Mai come here as a day trip? It had been their favourite place as young kids and early teens. Their dad would kick them out of the palace when important meetings were happening or if he was just tired of them and they would take the royal carriages down to the base of the volcano.

Although it had been slightly insulting to be sent away like that, it made them feel grownup to be on their own and independent and explore the place. Plus, it was always more fun to be with Mai in a more open place, they didn't feel so embarrassed and watched out here.

"Finally." Aang said, standing up. He had bags under his eyes, he practiced earthbending deep into the night and firebending as the sun rose and then couldn't sleep on Appa's back from lack of space.

Appa landed as quietly as he could and everyone stumbled off.

"Okay, Appa, you and Momo should go hide." Aang told him, rubbing between his eyes.

Zuko had warned them of a few watchtowers and guards, but nothing they couldn't handle. They were mostly there for show and to make sure the ancient grounds weren't wreaked by teenagers.

"You said this volcano hasn't been active in years, right?" Percy asked nervously. The mountain was huge, stretching up and up into the sky. The only time Percy had seen anything like this was on Olympus.

Zuko nodded. "But Sozin's Comet might be bringing it back. I don't really know what the comet does."

"Bring it to life?!" Sokka's voice was at least two octaves higher than normal. "If this volcano erupts while we're inside I swear I'll never talk to you again."

Toph rolled her eyes dramatically. "I don't think it's going to explode. I can feel it all churning but it won't blow."

Percy shuddered, remembering all the carnage that happened last time he was in a volcano. And it still made me blush to remember Annabeth then. Everything had seemed so complicated when it really shouldn't have been.

"Okay, so here's the plan..." Sokka said, bringing order. "We get in, fix the wall and get out. And don't get seen."

"So easy peasy..." Percy said. "Except we don't know where the wall is."

"Or how to fix it." Aang added, but he genuinely smiled at his friends. "We'll be fine."

Percy felt proud of him. He didn't really know why, but he just LIKED Aang. He was so honest and true and brave. He wanted to protect him from every bad thing in the world. Sure, the whole group heavily hinted that Aang was like, some amazing bender or something, but Percy hadn't seen any proof yet. Aang still just seemed like a goofy kid.

"We do have to deal with he guards... We can't risk being seen." Zuko added.

"We'll handle that." Katara put a hand on Zuko shoulder. "Sokka, you should help us too. Percy, Aang and Toph will go into the volcano."

Toph knelt down and placed her hand on the ground to feel the vibrations. "There's something big at the center, we should have a clear path down."

"Great, so we'll get a head start and you guys join us when you can." Aang said. "Unless something happens, then you take Appa and leave."

"Aang..." Katara said reproachingly. "We won't leave you here."

"No." Aang's voice was firm. Percy's head snapped up at his tone, he hadn't heard Aang sound like that before. "Nobody else is going to get hurt. If that volcano starts smoking or anything, you have to promise to leave."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure I'll get hurt in an active volcano, Twinkle Toes." Toph said. "But yeah, sure. Save Katara."

"I'll get you out if I have to." Aang said. "But hopefully it won't come to that."

"We'll be fine." Katara reassured him. Percy wanted to throw up they were so in love. He desperately hoped he and Annabeth hadn't been that obvious but he had a funny feeling they were worse.

He looked back at the mountain and whistled. "Hepheastus help us..." He whispered under his breath. His heart was beating pretty fast. The last time he had been in a volcano he had been knocked out for days, caused a lot of destruction and been missing for two weeks.

Plus, he felt like he needed to prove himself to these kids. That he wasn't some crazy kid from the sky.

"Okay," Aang stood up. "Let's go. See you guys soon."

Toph nodded and felt around the base of the mountain before bursting a hole big enough for Percy to walk normally in.

"HEY!" They all looked up, Aang had one foot in the tunnel and hesitated. "What are you kids doing?" A Fire Nation guard was running towards them.

Aang clutched his staff and started to step out but Katara grabbed Percy and Toph and shoved them on top of Aang into the tunnel.

"Go!" She yelled. "We can handle him."

The last thing Aang saw before Toph closed the earth was Katara slashing the Fire Nation spear in half with her water bending.

...,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,...

"So... Percy." Aang said as he lit the way down the tunnel with his fire bending. "What did happen last time you were in a volcano?"

Percy blushed. "Uhh.."

"Not the part about you and Annabeth!" Aang corrected hastily. "Why were you even in a volcano?"

"Oh, okay." Percy's wanted to laugh at himself he was still so embarrassed even though he and Annabeth had kissed a lot since then.

Like, a lot.

"Well... We were on a quest and we needed help from the god Hephaestus, he's the god of fire, blacksmith and volcano's. Somebody had been using one of his forges and he couldn't go see because whoever it was could sense his godly aura or something.. So Annabeth and I went and we got separated. I got caught and was overwhelmed by the enemy so I kind of asked my dad for help and the ocean kind of exploded in there, and it set off the volcano. I got shot halfway across the world and landed on an island. I was pretty wreaked so I stayed there until I was strong enough to leave and then... found a raft and left."

"Wow!" Aang gushed. "You can just call the ocean like that? That's awesome!"

Percy shrugged. That story always made him seem more cool than he was."Unfortunately, that blast woke up an ancient monster that almost destroyed the world... so it's not that cool."

Toph laughed. "I wish we had monsters. That sounds great."

Sorry this one is a little shorter!

Thank you everyone for such a warm welcome back. My heart is full 3