Chapter 7 Lava Tubes

"¡What! ¿Where's the Fire Lord… and everybody else?" Aang looks around in confusion. "I don't know what to do now, the Fire Lord is hiding out on some unreachable island."

Sokka paces in a circle. "No, I believe he's still here. You can't run a country from some random speck in the ocean. He has to be in a secure bunker around here." He faces me. "You know this place better than we do, confirm I am correct please."

I speak up. "Sokka, this is why you are a great comander. Yes, the Fire Nation is a volcanic island archipelago so there are several kilometres of ancient lava tubes underground. There is a long history of using those tubes for protection, storage and I'm sure secret government projects. Fire Lord Ozai's secret bunker is probably right under us."

Hadoka orders, "Sokka and Bato lead the advance team of Team Avatar. The rest of the invasion force, we secure the Capital." He faces Sokka, "I know what you are thinking. Everyone here was fully aware of the risks. If there is a chance, I say take it."

Aang bangs his staff on the floor. "As Avatar, I am done running. I'm going in."

Yes I was hoping he would say that. Yeah time to infiltrate the secret lair of Fire Lord Ozai. Oh this is going to be fun.

Toph detects an entrance through her seismic sense. Sokka loudly exclaims, "¡I am so glad we added you to the team!"

Bato grabs my shoulder. "You seem very knowledable about this country for some earth girl. I have a theory, but it does not make sense. I am right,ashmaker." Gasp he knows. Ashmaker is a rude term for fire benders. Everything we touch turns to ash.

I nod in confirmation. Here we go. "I am local, from Amami Island."

Bato smiles at me. "Sorry I am out of my depth, I have never met an actual civilian. Do not worry. I am not going to attack you. If you're with this group, you are all right. It was brave of you to be honest with me."

"Thank you for not seeing me as some monster. I do not have a great record against your tribe. Sokka, Katara, and Hana all tried to send me to Agni."

Bato pauses. "That last name… Hanna. Once this is over I need to talk with Kanna. Oh I, Bato, officially invite you to the South Pole."

We race throught the lava tubes. It is a complex network of tunnels with many dead ends. At one I press my hand against the rock. It is very hot. There is only one possiblility. I slowly back away in fear. I grab Toph before Sokka can tell her what to do. "We have to go another way. ¿Can you feel how hot is in here? This volcano is still active."

Sokka lets out a deep breath. "This is why you were assigned to the advanced team. Lava is not a good look for my skin."

Bato comments, "Locals make the best guides because they know the enviroment better than everyone else."

The heat raidly rises as we pass by actual magma. Lava is what we call magma on the surface. I am more worried about toxic gas than melted earth. Yay for geology class. And we're not the only ones down here. In another passage, we are attacked by scary looking Earthbenders wearing these dark green and black robes. I am very confused. ¿What are they doing? ¿Why is an elite Earth Army unit defending Fire nation compunds? After about twenty minutes we arrive at the final destination, I think. But it is not Fire Lord Ozai who greets us. Instead, it is a girl a few years older than me with golden eyes and dark hair who is sitting on an ornate throne. Not as nice as the real one called the Dragon Throne. Wearing a set of red and gold armor is the Crown Princess, Azula.

Aang just stares like an idiot, I think that is his default. Not that I am ever telling him. I do not want to experience the full power of the Avatar State. "¿You, what are you doing here? ¿Where is daddy? ¿Or Zuzu?"

Azula eyes narrow. "First, you are alive. I knew Zuko was lying. Second, the fire lord left before your little war band walked in. I am slightly impressed you discovered the tubes. I did not think you had the intelligence required. I have known about the eclipse for months. Third, only I can call my brother that, chrome dome."

Aang yawns, "I have been waiting for this. Time for a rematch before I take care of the finale."

Katara mutters under her breath. "I healed him every day for a month. Some days I questioned my abilies. Aang lying there unresponsive with a huge scar on his back."

Sokka steps forward pointing with his metal sword. "Aang, I will take care of this. I am going to enjoy it. I see now why this was so easy. You knew we would attack today. That's why you had the Dai Li down here.Stop wasting our time and give us the information. You're powerless right now, so you're in no position to refuse."

Azula gets out of her chair. "You mean I am not good enough for you. You're hurting my felings."

Toph speaks up for the first time. "And stick to the truth, I'll be able to tell if you're lying."

"I am a very good liar. I am a four hundred foot tall purple platapus bear with pink horns and silver wings."

Toph pauses. "Ok you're good.I will say you don't feel like you weigh that much."(181 kg)

Sokka charges the surprised princess. Azula realizes she is out matched sprints down another tunnel. We pursue after Azula. Sokka stops suddenly yelling, "¡Wait you three idiots! ¡Stop! ¡Can't you see she's not even putting up a fight! Not that she can. ¡This hag is just stalling for time!"

Azula whips around outraged. "¿WHAT DID YOU CALL ME? ¡I'm a Princess and someone I thought was my best friend thinks I'm the hottest girl here!" Way more calmly Azula adds, "I am giving it my all actually. Sword play is my brother's area, not mine."

Toph taps me on the shoulder. "She's not lying. I have got to meet whoever said that."

Aang asks, "¿So we're just gonna let daddy's little girl go? Anyway she's not the main event."

Azula walks down the tunnel pointing to another route. "¿By the way, you know it's a trap, right?"

Sokka waves her off. "Oh no, I had no idea, it is not something I figured out in like five seconds or something. ¡I'm ignoring you!" He whispers to himself. "Her leg muscles look amazing." Ok, so Sokka is into fit women.

Azula turns to the Southern Water Tribe warrior. "¿Thanks for the compliment. ¿Your name's Sokka right? My favorite prisoner used to mention you all the time. She was convinced you'd come rescue her. You never did, so she gave up on you. Well there is Ty Lee. She had a thing for you for some reason. I wasnotjealous." Yea she totally was. Toph smirking in the corner proved she also knew.

Sokka's whole expression changes in an instant. He races over to the princess, black iron sword unsheathed. Oh he looks ready to kill. Toph sees something I can't, which now that I think about it is very funny, encases Azula's right arm in rock. Sokka grabs Azula by the neck, looming over her. In a low dangerous tone Sokka demands, "Where. Is. ¡¿Suki?!"

Azula just smirks, infuriating Sokka. "¿Where's Suki? ¡Answer me! Don't test me. I'm beginning to think of more 'interesting' options."

Aang taps his friend on the shoulder. "Sokka, she won't talk. We're getting nowhere."

Completely ignoring the Avatar, Sokka continues his interrogation. "I am going to ask you one more time. ¿Where are you keeping her?"

Katara interrupts her brother. "Sokka, unlike us she does not understand things like friendship or a mother's love."

This gets a strong reaction out of Azula. "¡You filthy peasant! My mother favored Zuko over me, ¡her perfect daughter! I was born lucky. He was lucky to be born. I said that to my brother when we were kids. ¡You should have seen his face!My own mother saw me as a monster."

Sokka darkly laughs. "Haha. ¿I wonder why she would think that? Seriously, ¿what does that pink girl see in you?Ok I was hoping you would answer my simple question. I've always found pain to be a great teacher. ¡I am going to show how you animals have treated the rest of us!"

He sounds a lot like Hanna. Not that I blame either of them. Look after what my nation did to them and their people Sokka and Hanna can do whatever they like to us. Honor demands it. I am very lucky Bato decided to show me mercy. I can tell you the reverse is not happening. ¿Remind me again what the real savage nation is? Because it is not theirs, it's mine.

Katara yells, "I demand a shot too! Alright, you want to see power fine by me." She takes a deep breath and makes very familiar hand motions. Oh I know what is going on. Agni, Katara knows bloodbending. Azula's body moves unnaturally. I'm gona be sick. I do not think your arm is suposed to bend that far back. The really scary part is her facial expression. Azula has lost control of her own body and is terrified. Katara then releases the princess.

Azula takes a deep breath, temperature rising rapidly. I can feel it rushing through my body. The 8 minutes are up. The eclipse is over. She kicks out in an arc sending a blast of blue fire. "¡Oh looks like the firebending is back on!¡I have the power now!" Her voice is shaky. She is still recovering from Katara's dark ability.

Sokka smirks. "Yea whatever. ¡Your bending is all you got!" I hear that very distinct sound of something going through skin. Sokka plunges his space sword right through Azula. Her high-pitched wail pings off the rocks surrounding us. The Princess' body stiffens, golden eyes bug out as she falls to the ground face frozen in shock. I don't think this was how Azula thought it would as a pool of dark red blood forms around her."Thanks for the conversation. ¡It's been real!" He turns to us apologizing, "I am sorry I wasted our eclipse time."

Katara grins approvingly at her brother. "No you did not. Taking out that psycho was all worth it."

Bato takes command. "Ok advance team, this was a bust. We need to escape now. Back to the ships. Sokka, your father would be proud of you. The Fire Nation is crippled. Their illusion of invincibility is gone. Now, every one knows this is possible. Katara, I'm choosing to ignore that little display of yours. Aang, I do not care you are the avatar. Fire Lord Ozai is expecting you now. That is a fight you cannot win at this time."

We move as fast a possible back to the surface. As soon as we emerge, we jump on Appa for a quick ride back to Harbor City. We fly by a group of war ballons. Aang slices them as we go, so they start loosing altitude fast. But there are too many of them. We land in the middle of a warzone. Oh so this is where they all went. Arrows whiz by me. But, now there is metal shield surrounding me. I'm out in the open. I am just another EK soldier to the Fire Nation. I see for the first time, what my nation's military truly looks like. Hadoka surveys the battlefield and sounds the retreat. A shadow passes through me. All I hear is the whistling of air. I feel weightless for a moment before my body slams into the ground. My ears are ringing, everything is blurry, I am on my back, and there is no sound. I look up seeing war balloons float above me. I notice one of the subs is destroyed. Uh oh. Ok need to protect the other ones. I have an idea. It's crazy, but I have no choice. I try this and some of the invasion force; myself included, may not die or be captured.

I turn to Haru. "¿Do you trust me? I have a way to stall the Home Guard and get rid of those ballons bombing us."

He nods. I take a deep breath and move my arms in a circle.

Haru's father and Hadoka stare at me. "I know that stance. No way in hell." He turns to the rest of us. "People, get to the subs and punch it. You're getting out of here. Don't wait for me. I am going to buy you all some time." Hadoka and Bato then charge the enemy troops. Oh I see what they are doing. Draw attention to them so the submarines are safe to evacuate the rest.

A ball of fire erupts skyward blasting a ballon out of the sky. One down, onto the others. This is pushing my firebending to the absolute limit. If I am being totally honest, I am way beyond my level. The edges of my vison fade black. I feel very tired and the world spins around me with flashes of orange light. Power comes in response to a need not a desire. Ok fine I am quoting a manga I read last year.(Dragon Ball Z funimation dub)

I wake up to the motion of Appa flying, the rest othe team around me. "Yay, you are ok. That was incredible. I did not know you could do that. It was scary to see you collapse like that. We are on our way to the Western Air Temple." Explains Aang.

Neat, I get to see a real Air Temple. I am super excited.I am still thinking this Suki person is very important to Sokka. He would have never gone right for the kill shot otherwise. They have to be in a serious relationship or something. Sokka is a complex person who can go from cheerful jokester to highly competent warrior in a second. Katara speaks for herself.

AN: Yay, double feature. It made sense to me to post these chapters together. Like when I saw the orginal airdate. Yes I am that old. One of the changes here is most of the invasion is able to get away. Only a few are sent to the boiling rock. I moved Katara and Bato to the advance team as Sokka XO. Having a person who can one shot the ballons saves the beach evacuation. An outline does exist, but I am open to ideas, as some chapters are only a few bullet points. We do meet Ty Lee in chapter 14. Tyzula! I do wonder if I am giving too little detail. Especially with the invasion. A ton of stuff happens here and I proably skipped a lot. Also sorry for the late posting, this went through a lot of rewrites.