Accidental Avatar 3.5: The Burn Book

Secret Tunnel but without the Theme Song

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry this has taken so long. My cousin was getting married last week... 4 times... honestly, who needs 4 weddings?! One in the states, one in England, Scotland and then one in Ireland. Like damn. Good thing his father-in-law owns gold mines and a bunch of jewellers shops... But seriously, I have the stuff to do other than go to four weddings... like flip burgers at McDonald's and write this.

Appa flew us up to the volcanic mountain and dropped us off near the top. We jumped off, and Toph got to work reading the ground.

"Do you feel anything down there?" Aang asked.

"Yep," Toph smiled. "There are natural tunnels crisscrossing through the inside of the volcano."

"Just like the secret love tunnels by Omashu," I grinned. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong?" Aang asked.

"I got that song stuck in my head now."

Sokka visibly deflated.

"Sorry, buddy," I patted him on the back.

"Anything else?" Our fearless leader asked. "Is there a structure somewhere?"

Toph gripped the earth with an intensity I'd never seen before. "There's something big, dense, and made of metal deep in the heart of the volcano."

"Sounds like a secret bunker to me," Sokka smiled.

Toph then proceeded to pound the dirt into a great depression. In seconds, there was a hole so big; it could suck up an economy. We all jumped in and began running down the hallway. My little flame held up to give light to those of us who still need to use our eyes to see. At least, my bending was still working.

"This way!" Toph shouted. "That one's a dead end."

"What would we do without you?" Sokka almost sounded in love.

"Perish and burn in hot magma," Toph replied very matter of factly.

It was also at this point that we found a magma river. Albeit a very little one, but still. We all agreed it was best to have Toph lead us.

Soon, we came to a cavern filled with active lava vents all over the floor. It looked so cool and deadly.

"The tunnel continues on the other side," Toph called. "And it leads right to the bunker."

"Where's Muteki when you need him?" Aang looked perplexed.

"Well," I chimed in. "Right now, he's probably ripped the palace guards to pieces with his bare hands and pouring himself a bath of their blood."

"Are you alright?" Aang asked.

"Of course I am," I smiled. "But you're right. The bath wouldn't be for him; it would be for Jin."

"Regardless of who is having a bloodbath," Sokka steered us back on track. "We'll have to be fast but careful."

Sokka attempted to run across, but I grabbed him by the collar immediately as one of the vents erupted in his face. He yelled in surprise and shielded himself as Aang swung his staff at it, bending a gust of wind and cooling down the lava.

"Should have brought a Muteki," I said.

"How was that careful?" Aang hissed.

"I was wrong," Sokka admitted. "We need to be fast, careful and lucky."

"Have you ever played that game?" I asked. "The one where the floor is lava?"

"No?" Aang said.

"You play it like this," I started running across the cavern, dodging the eruptions and spinning out their way before they blasted.

"That is how you do it," Sokka's mouth was hanging open.

Toph, Aang, and Sokka followed me across the cavern, carefully dodging the steam and lava from the vents. When we got to the other side, something else became the issue.

"Should have brought a Muteki," I said again.

"So," Sokka started. "How do you play this game? There's no floor! It's just a river of lava."

"Like this," I replied, blasting energy into my fire. I took a running jump and pushed with everything I had, propelling myself over the chasm to a small ledge on the other side. I hit the wall hard and almost crumpled. I kept a small flame in my fist but extinguished the jets.

"Climb aboard and hold on tight," Aang called, opening up his glider.

Sokka and Toph clung to the top of Aang's glider as he glided through the lava tunnel, the two screaming with fright. Aang banked left and right, avoiding a stone column and a lava explosion as they were almost shot from the sky. They all made it to the other side and landed easily before we all continued on foot.

We eventually met a steel door that seemed to have been cast straight onto the stonework.

"That's some door!" Sokka exclaimed.

"So, what is the password?" I asked.

"I don't know," Aang replied.

"No, What is the password," I corrected.

"You're weird," Toph sighed at me. She then proceeded to knock on the door.

"Think they'll let you in without the password?" I asked.

"I don't need a password," Toph grinned, then ripped the door out of its housing. "No password if there's no door."

"I am so glad we added you to the group," Sokka said as Toph led us down a tunnel.

We passed an opening, and some guy gasped. We all brandished our weapons at the dude, scaring the poop out of his adult-sized diaper. Old guy McOldface pressed his back against the wall and raised his hands in surrender.

"The Fire Lord's chamber is that way," he stammered. "Down the hall to the left and up the stairs. You can't miss it."

We all stepped in closer to him, being as intimidating as possible. I even had my war face on.

Aang suddenly smiled all cheerful like and said, "Thanks," with that cheeky grin he has.

We left the funny-looking old man, Sokka giving him one last dirty look for the road, and dashed off in the direction he pointed. Sokka pulled out his device, checking the time. "Only 30 seconds until the total eclipse," he called out as we hit the door Gandalf the Cowardly told us about.

Aang took a deep breath and closed his eyes, steadying his nerves and steeling himself. "I'm ready. I'm ready to face the Fire Lord."

And with that, my fire sputtered out.

"Let's do this," I gripped my pick in both hands.

Aang spun his staff up and forward, blasting air through the door and knocking it off its hinges. The room was one large hall supported by thick metal beams on both sides, lit by torchlight. It was gorgeous. A single throne adorned the end of the hall, and we all charged towards it.

Unfortunately, the Fire Lord wasn't there to greet us as Azula lounged on the throne.

"It's rude for the host not to entertain his own guests," I growled, raising both a burning hand and my war pick.

"So, you are alive after all," Azula ignored me, staring at Aang.

"No matter," Azula shrugged, then ignored me. "I had a hunch that you survived. It doesn't matter; I've known about the invasion for months."

Aang looked like he was in utter, speechless shock.

"Would anyone mind if I splattered her head?" I flicked my war pick around my wrist.