When Worlds Collide: Book Two, Earth

Chapter Four

“So how far away are we from the tunnel?” Sokka asked.
“Actually its not just one tunnel,” Chung said, “the lovers didn’t want anyone to find out about their love, so they built a huge labyrinth.”
Sokka and I froze. “Labyrinth?” he asked.
“I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” Chung said, shrugging.
We continued walking, Sokka and I leading the way. “All we need to do is trust in Love,” Louis said. “According to the curse.”
Sokka froze beside me, and we all just ignored him as he had a little hissy fit.
And to be honest, I felt like doing the same.

After being trapped in the caves by the fire nation, we were now trying to find our way out. Sokka had decided to map out the place as we went, and currently, we were cornered, again.
“Sokka this is the tenth dead end you’ve lead us to,” Katara said.
“Eleventh,” I corrected.
She glared, and I shrugged.
“This doesn’t make any sense, we’ve already came through this way,” Sokka said.
“We don’t need a map,” Chung said, “we just need love.”
“There’s something strange here,” Sokka said.
“Um... Sokka?” I called. When he turned, I continued. “I read this book once. It was based on mythology. And these heroes, they went into this labyrinth... and... the tunnels... they had a mind of their own. They-“
“Changed,” Sokka and I said together.
Everything started to shake, and out of no where, giant bat like creatures came flying towards us.
Chaos erupted as Sokka used a torch to keep the giant creatures away. Somehow, fire landed on Appa and he panicked, running around, and slamming into a rock column. The tunnels started to cave in, and I watched as Aang used air bending to knock us out of the way of the falling debris.
We watched as the ceiling fell, putting a barrier between us and Aang and Katara.
“No!” Sokka shouted, and rushed forward, moving rock away.
“Yea, it’s no use,” Chung said, “we’re separated. But at least you have us!”
Sokka screamed and started digging faster.
“Sokka, come on,” I said, pulling him up. “The faster we start moving, the faster we can get out of here and meet with the others.”
He sighed, and nodded.
After we made sure everyone was okay, we started walking again, the hippies singing all the way.

We were at a dead end-again.
“At least we’re thinking,” I said. “We need a plan, an idea, anything to get us out of here.”
“Wait, we’re thinking of ideas?” Chung asked. “Because I’ve had one for a while now.”
Sokka slapped his forehead for the twentieth time. “Yes!” he shouted. “We’re all thinking of ideas!”
“Well then listen to this,” Chung said. “Love is the key out of here, right? Then all we need to do is sing a love song.”
I groaned and Sokka slapped his forehead. Again.
The others ignored us as they started playing more music.
We are never getting out.

We were walking when we heard it-it sounded like a strangled scream, and we all froze.
We turned, and there were a huge group of those wolf bat things, coming straight toward us. We all fell to the ground except Sokka, who started flailing his arms about, trying to get rid of the things. After a few seconds, they passed, and were gone.
“Hey!” Chung said. “You saved us Sokka!”
“No,” Sokka said, panicked, “they were trying to get away from something.”
“From what?” I asked.
The ground started to shake, and the caves wall exploded. From the smoke, a giant badger mole appeared, and a second one came from behind us. I shrank behind Sokka as they started to earth bend giant rocks from the ground. The second one put a crack in the floor, separating us from the hippy group. Sokka and fell to the ground as the animal slammed its paws down. Crawling back, Sokka’s hand hit one of the guitars, striking a chord.
The beast froze, and looked at us curiously. Sokka picked up the instrument, and started to pluck out random notes. The badger moles came around us, listening to the music.
“Hey... they like music,” I said, smiling.
“Help me out,” Sokka said, looking at Chung and the rest.
They all pulled out their instruments and started to play. We calmed them down enough so that we could climb onto their backs and started to make our way out of the caves.
In no time, we stormed our way out of the labyrinth, were we found Aang and Katara. We slid off and raced towards our friends.
“How did you guys get out?” Sokka asked.
“Just like the legend says,” Aang said, smiling at Katara, “we let love lead the way.”
“Really?” Sokka asked. “‘Cause we let giant moles lead our way.”
We both turned and waved as the creatures disappeared back into the mountain side.
Sokka and Katara hugged, and Aang hugged me. I chuckled and hugged him back, before he ran to the others, talking to them.
“Why is your forehead all red?” Katara asked Sokka.
I chuckled, noticing Chung walking towards us. “Wait for it,” I said.
She gave me an odd look, but when Chung came up besides us, she smiled.
“No one react to what I’m about to say,” he said, “but I think that kids the Avatar.” Chung pointed to Aang, and I laughed when Sokka face palmed, again.
As they were leaving, they all started to play their songs. Sokka crossed his arms, and I noticed that Katara and Aang were avoiding eye contact, and blushing.
I just put my hands on my hips and smiled.
This place was weird, and way different than my home...
But it was worth it, even if one of my friends weren’t talking to me yet.

“The journey was long, and annoying, but now you get to see what it’s really about,” Sokka said while we were climbing up the mountain, “the destination. I present to you, the Earth Kingdom city, of O.... oh no.”
I looked over his shoulder and gasped. The once great city was now taken over by Fire Nation.