Avatar: Mysteries

[Orophin]

I might casually mention it...

But I wont make her feel like she has to answer.

[Teяa253]

she probably won't fel pressured. just make sure she gets the hint.
~Iroh~

[Orophin]

Oh, she wont feel pressured, but I like asking without asking.

Or asking in a specific way...

[Teяa253]

go for it.
~Katara~

[Orophin]

I'll ask when the timing feels right.

[Teяa253]

okie.
~Mai~

[Orophin]

As you may have noticed, my timing is pretty good.

Usually.

[Teяa253]

yep.
~Toph~

[Orophin]

Of course, there are other instances where my timing has been a little off...

[Teяa253]

indeed...
~Toph~

[Orophin]

But I think that this will be different than those times.

[Teяa253]

indeed...
~Mai~

[Teяa253]

well, here's chapter 13...

CHAPTER 13: THE GREAT MAZE
The Fire Nation Palace had changed since we last were there. Now it seemed like a huge maze. Someone was aware that Aang had been coming. The whole place was now like an underground maze.
“You want me to try metalbending some of this place out?” I asked, feeling the walls;
“That’s a good idea, Toph,” said Tera, “but I would not recommend it. Do you know who did this?”
“No,” I replied, for I seriously had no idea. Then it suddenly hit me.
“Was it the Dai Li agents there were here with Azula?” I paused, “wait, you weren’t there.”
“Oh, but I was,” said Tera mysteriously, “but that’s not the point; Toph, you are exactly right. The Dai Li Agents remodeled the place. I guess they were aware of us coming. The last thing we want to do is run into them. If we do, they’ll be reporting us faster than Sanaki’s reflexes.
“So,” I said, “we’re just following the maze then?”
“That is correct.” said Tera, “any questions?”
“Not really,” said Dre Yu, “But I’m just going to drop by with Iroh really quick. He said for me to meet with him. I’ll be going through this passage.”
“okay.” Said Tera, “and you, Kai?”
“I will follow you.” Kai said bluntly, “I want to make sure that Sanaki is safe and okay.”
“Well,” I said, let’s go down into the maze.”

We descended into the maze. Zuko and Katara went first, then Sanaki and Toph, and Aang, then Tera, and then me, and then Kai.
“Sokka,” said Kai from behind me; “is Sanaki alright?”
“She’s at the front behind Zuko and Katara,” I replied, “why?”
“No reason,” Kai replied softly, “I was just wondering.”
“So,” I asked Tera, “how do we find our way through this mess? Its pitch dark in here; I can’t see a thing”
“Oh no, what a nightmare,” said Sanaki sarcastically,
“Hey,” said Toph, and I heard her elbow Sanaki, “that’s my line!”
“Well,” said Tera, “I can see it all. It’s a brilliant scheme. Toph and Sanaki are invaluable. I put Zuko and Katara at the front so they could warn us of an attack. I sort of had to risk them, but I’m pretty sure a few Dai Li agents of Fire Nation soldiers couldn’t kill them you agree?”
“Well,” I said, “she IS my sister... but you’ve got a point. Continue.”
“Toph and Sanaki would have been in the front, but I wanted them a little more protected. Toph is going to sense which way to go, and Sanaki will locate any signs of heat from people other than us. Aang is in the middle because he is the Avatar and should be protected the most; I’m here so I can access either side and talk to all of you without having to yell, and Kai is at the end so if we get attacked from behind, she can stop it. Kai is dangerous. She’s not one you’d want to pick a fight with.”
“So,” I said, “what about me?”
“You,” said Tera, “well, to tell the truth, I just chose a random spot for you. There’s not much you can do here without bending.”
“Oh,” I muttered, “great.”
We continued for a while until Sanaki stopped us.
“We’re being followed,” she said; she seemed to have no regard for what Tera had done to her, for it was her that she was talking to.
“Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom,” I asked,
“It’s a Dai Li,” Sanaki replied, “but there’s only one of them.”
“You all stay here,” Said Tera, “I’ll make quick work of him;”

“Don’t kill him!” I protested. I didn’t want to be the one who gave away this man’s position, and subsequently, his life. He had done nothing to me.
“Sanaki,” said Tera, “he’ll rat us out if we don’t get rid of him.”
“Let me go first. I’ll check who it is.” I knew Tera liked putting me in danger, so I was not surprised when she consented. I left the group a few yards away and waited for him to come. When he came into my sensing range, I recognized him.
“Sanaki,” I heard him call out, and I recognized the voice;
“Teroh,” I exclaimed, “is that you?”
“Indeed it is,” the Dai Li replied, “are you trying to get to the Fire Nation throne room?”
“Yes we are,” I replied, “do you know a better way?”
“No,” Teroh replied, “but I do know how to help you. You all are on the right track. However, the entrance to the throne room is being guarded by a huge squad of the best Fire Nation soldiers and Dai Li. They’ll do you in easily in a second, because there are so many of them. Leave it to me. I’ll tell them to scatter—I’ll raise a false alarm somewhere else. Are you in for it?”
I nodded. “Good luck Teroh,” I said, and embraced him. He embraced me back quickly before disappearing. I turned back to the others and told them what had just happened (except for the hugging part).
“Sanaki,” said Tera, “that was excellent. That makes our job so much easier, and so much less violent. Now all we need to do is complete the maze. Toph, tell Katara and Zuko to lead the way!”

I could tell that we were almost out, but then Sanaki said something again. “We’re being followed again,” she warned, “this time it’s huge. Teroh must have warned them too early.”
“How far are they behind us?” I asked, “Because I can sense the throne room right above us. If they’re far enough away, we’ll bust through and then repair the damage.”
“They’re far off,” Sanaki replied, “hurry!”
I abandoned all precepts and busted through the ground. I sealed it up once we were all out. We weren’t actually in the throne room—I had lied. We were just outside of it though. I sealed up the tunnel and then sensed the people around me. There were only 6 of them, 7 if I counted myself. Someone—Tera—was missing.

“We’ll probably run into her again,” I reassured Toph, “my boomerang senses tell me that.” I got Toph to laugh with my lame remark, and soon we all chuckled a little.
“So,” said Katara, “this is it, Aang. You’re going to face the Fire Lord when we pass through those doors.”
“Unless he’s not there,” said Zuko darkly, but Sanaki thought otherwise. She ran up to the doors, her bare feet making no noise against the stone floor. She stood on her hands and put her feet against the door.
“He’s in there, alright,” she said, “I believe Azula is around as well. She’s not actually in there, but I can feel her too.”
“Anyways,” said Katara to Aang again, “we’re here for you. I’m pretty sure that we can take this guy.”
Aang said nothing. It looked like it was time for “The Sokka” to step in.
“Aang,” I said, “if someone here dies, it’ll be me; I can’t bend. You’re the Avatar. You can bend all four elements. You’ll be fine. Sure if you fail then we’ll have to await Sozin’s comet to come and enhance the abilities of the Fire Nation and let them take over the world and we’ll all die, but no pressure.”
Katara gave me a dry, withering look. I said nothing except “sorry”
“Besides,” Zuko added, “we’ll be helping you. Oh, and we’ve got Kai, and maybe Tera. I still don’t know about Tera. She seems... Controlling...”
“Yeah,” Katara added, “as if she drove us to bloodlust or what-not.”
“Well,” said Sanaki, “I guess we’ll just have to accept her despite what she’s done and just go in there. After all, I doubt that the Dai Li in the basement will be there for very long if we don’t.”
“So,” I said, pulling out my club, “who’s going in first?”
“I will go if you wish,” said Kai, but Toph and Sanaki both opposed,
“No Kai, there might be a trap, and you’re the last person we want dead.” “I’ll go.” Said Aang, and he was already pushing the door open. The rest of us quietly followed. We peered into the throne room. What we saw though, was one of the last things we would have expected. In fact, when some of us first saw it, we thought that something had gone wrong—that our eyes were playing tricks on us...

~Mai~

[Orophin]

I want to know what they saw!

Tell me!!

Please!!!

[Teяa253]

I will.
it's called chapter 14.
do you want the title?
~Azula~