Gaang POV(Aang & Sokka):

Aang stood in awe of the huge, incredibly ornate and ingeniously designed door before them. Sokka was more concerned about getting the thing open.

"So where's the doorknob?" Sokka asked impatiently, crossing his arms.

The Knowledge-seeker disappeared into a small cubby in the wall. A few moments later there was a loud clanking sound and the grinding of stone as the door rolled slid open. The Knowledge-seeker came out of the room, looked at them, and then padded away. It disappeared into the shadows.

Aang sighed. "Well, there goes our directory. Hope we can find the exit later."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Sokka said dismissively. He pulled the scrap of paper from his bag and waved it for emphasis. "We have work to do."

They entered a large, brightly lighted room with a vaulted, dome shaped ceiling painted in sky blue. Two metal rails ran across the diameter of the ceiling, one with a stylized sun bolted to it and the other with a moon. In the middle of the room, set into the stone floor, was a table of sorts, with carved rings and a metal lever that stood to the side. Aang and Sokka converged on the table.

"What is this?" the airbender asked, running his hands over the intricate carvings.

Sokka studied the paper, and then studied the table. "I think...I think this is a calendar of some sort...help me set the date."

They rotated the rings so that the proper date was bracketed by the metal rail than ran from the side of the table, to the center. Aang pulled the lever.

The lights dimmed, and the ceiling came to life. Twinkling stars began to travel across the simulated night sky. The sun and moon rails clanked as they moved, signifying the passing of a day. The stars became still and the sun was hidden behind the moon.

"...I think we broke it," Aang said after a long moment.

Sokka rolled his eyes and puzzled over what this could mean. "The sun...hidden behind the moon...a solar eclipse, isn't it? But what's so important about..." He trailed off, and came to understand. His blue eyes widened as he thought of what this could mean. "Spirits, a solar eclipse!" He nearly jumped for joy.

Aang stepped back nervously at his suddenly energetic friend. "What?"

"Firebenders get their power from the sun!" Sokka explained excitedly. "But if the sun is hidden-"

Aang suddenly understood. "They won't be able to firebend!"

Sokka nodded. "They'll be completely defenseless! We have to get this information to the Earth King. This...this is huge! This could end the war!"

"But when's the next one?" Aang asked. "We need to-"

Sokka looked over Aang's shoulder, and gulped. The airbender turned around to find himself facing black feathers. He looked up to see the blank white face of Wan Shi Tong.

"You lied to me," the spirit sighed. "Now why am I not surprised?"

"Please, sir!" Aang implored. "The Fire Nation is going to hurt everyone if we don't-"

"Silence!" Wan Shi Tong ordered sharply. "I care not for your petty human squabbles, and I care not for your excuses! My library shan't be misused any longer!" He opened his midnight colored wings and began to flap them, stirring up a great wind.

"What are you doing?!" Sokka yelled over the wind.

"Making sure humans can never get in again!" the owl boomed in response.

The place began to shake, and there was the sound of something collapsing in the distance.

"The place is sinking!" Aang cried urgently. "We've got to get out of here!" He took Sokka's wrist and they fled the planetarium as fast as they could, an angry knowledge spirit on their heels.

Gaang POV(Katara & Matthew):

"Didn't we already come this way?" Katara asked worriedly, turning in a full circle. "All of these shelves look the same to me."

Matthew frowned, fiddling with the journal in his hands. "We are lost?"

The waterbender bit her lip. "Er...I think we are."

Matthew's response was cut off by a loud rumbling, and the faintest sound of a wrathful squawk that echoed off of the walls. The blond seemed to revise his statement as he said, "That way?"

Katara nodded and began to run. Matthew followed closely behind.

Zuko POV:

"My God," Alfred breathed dramatically. "Are those people I see in the distance? Are we truly not alone on this planet?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Please, it's probably just more bandits."

"Oh, don't be such a pessimist," Alfred scoffed. "Not everyone's a bandit."

"You still have faith in humanity," Zuko observed drily, rearranging his dao for easier reach. "How quaint."

Iroh peered closely. "No...Alfred's right. Those aren't bandits. It's a refugee family."

As the distant shapes got closer, one could distinguish a wagon, one of it's wheels off of the axle, with a small ring of fretting people surrounding it and two burden beasts. Two young men were trying to lift the heavy vehicle up...

There was a small, effeminate, sandaled foot poking out from under the wagon.

It was as if someone had lit a fire inside of Alfred. He ran forward, pushing the two young men out of the way. He effortlessly flipped the wagon up and off of the little girl with one hand. The one of the young men dragged the girl away from the now upside down wagon. An older man with a soldierly bearing and dark hair with grey streaks bent a rock to prop her up against.

"Oh, bless you!" A older brunette woman, probably the mother, gushed to Alfred. She took up his hands in hers. "What is your name so that I may thank you properly?"

Alfred blinked uncomprehendingly, and Iroh stepped up next to him. "I'm sorry Ma'am. He cannot answer you."

The woman frowned lightly. "Oh? Why not?"

"He's mute," Iroh sighed convincingly. "Such a kind soul, but he hasn't been able to speak since his birth."

Zuko elected to stay silent and relatively out of the way. He's never been a very good liar. Best to just observe.

The woman brought her hands to her mouth. "Oh...I'm so sorry..."

"It's quite alright," Iroh reassured. He glanced over her shoulder at the little girl, who looked no worse for wear beyond a few scrapes and bruises. "And I'm glad to see that your daughter is alright."

The woman glanced back with a motherly smile. "Thank Oma and Shu for that." Her expression became regretful. "The wagon's front axle needed to be tightened," she explained. "My daughter was the only one who could fit under...we didn't realize one of the wheels was loose on it's mounting."

"An easy mistake to make," Iroh said solemnly. "Misfortune strikes even the most virtuous of people."

"Good thing our luck outweighed our misfortune this time," the mother remarked. "So strong...what would we have done without you?"

Iroh shrugged. "Something we thankfully won't have to determine. Might I ask where you are headed?"

"My husband's father recently passed," she explained. Her tone became slightly sour. "It was my husband's insistence that we leave Ba Sing Se so that his mother wouldn't be lonely and the family farm wouldn't be sold."

"His intentions are honorable," Iroh pointed out peaceably. "Though I can see you being reluctant to leave the safety of Ba Sing Se's impenetrable walls."

"Indeed..." the woman sighed. She shook her head and looked at Alfred again. "Though I'd still like to do something to thank you, young man, even if you can't answer me."

Zuko struck upon an idea. "Do you have any spare clothes, then? His are a bit, er..." He trailed off and gestured to the blonds garments as further explanation.

The woman looked Alfred up and down. "Hmm...I have some spare tunics that might fit him. And pants-though they'll be a bit short for his height."

Iroh bowed. "It is more than we could've hoped for."

Gaang POV(Aang & Sokka):

Aang grabbed Sokka's wrist and wrenched him around a corner. They flattened themselves against the bookcase and held as still and silent as they could.

Wan Shi Tong passed them, his shining black eyes sliding right over their still figures. He turned another corner and disappeared.

The building rumbled again. Sand began to trickle down from the ceiling. Aang released the breath he was holding. "Okay, let's find everyone and get out of here before he finds someone else."

"Not yet," Sokka said. "We need to know when the next solar eclipse happens."

"But that means going back to the planetarium!" Aang argued. "We don't have time for-"

"We won't get another chance like this," Sokka interrupted sharply. "And we'll have even less time if we don't get moving now!"

Aang gripped his airstaff tightly. "What about the others?"

"The others can handle themselves for a little bit," Sokka reassured. "They know something's up by now."

Gaang POV(Katara & Matthew):

The ground was shaking. Sand was starting to pour through seams in the ceiling to form piles on the ground. This spurred Katara's legs even faster. She glanced back to see if-yes, Matthew was still behind her. How could he be so calm in a situation like this?

She faced forward again, skidding to a halt as a big black shape appeared before her. Wan Shi Tong, his neck stretched far longer than should be possible and his wings fully extended. He looked like a completely different animal. A very angry animal.

"There you are, little waterbender," the spirit sneered, taking a step forward as his head jerked from side to side. "And the little land-spawn. Did you really think you could get away from me?"

"W-what are you talking about?" Katara demanded shakily, taking a step back as she considered which direction she should run.

"Don't play dumb with me," Wan Shi Tong spat, taking another step forward. "I know your true purpose here, now. Your friends found what they were looking for, by the way. But that knowledge will never leave this building." He reared like a cobra, his black eyes flashing in the dim light.

Matthew pulled her back just before the spirit's pointed beak buried itself into stone, right where she had been standing. Matthew propelled her the opposite way with a hidden strength she hadn't seen before. They ran, turning random corners ducking behind bookshelves in the hopes of escaping the Knowledge spirit.

"Wait!" Katara cried out, stopping Matthew in his tracks. "What about the others?"

The blond looked around warily. "Probably hiding. Or outside. We should go."

Katara bit her lip. "Are you sure? I don't want to-"

Matthew cut her off with a gesture, his head tilted as he listened for something. His eyes widened, and he pulled her into a shadowed corner. Her surprised squeak was smothered by his hand clapping over her mouth.

A few moments passed, neither daring to move. Wan Shi Tong's form melted out of the shadows. He looked around, seeming to regard their hiding place a little longer than necessary, before moving on.

Matthew removed his hand. Katara put a hand to her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. The building rumbled again.

Zuko POV:

It was noon by the time they finally bid the refugee family goodbye. Alfred now had three pairs of pants and two tunics to utilize.

"I'll dress later," Alfred decided, packing away the new items. He took a deep breath and glanced down the road. "We gonna get goin' or not?"

Zuko studied the blue-eyed teen closely. "How are you that strong? I don't care how much exercise you do, people can't usually throw around fully grown moose-lions."

The blond rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Uh...protein?"

Zuko raised an eyebrow to show his skepticism, determined to stare Alfred down until he capitulated.

To his credit, Alfred lasted longer than most people would. A long three minutes later, the blond looked away. "I...I don't know, alright? No one really knows why-I've always just been that way."

"No one's judging you," Iroh reassured. "We just find it...intriguing."

Alfred nodded sheepishly and cleared his throat. "Well, then...let's just get moving." With that, he turned and headed down the road, indicating a clear end to the conversation.

Zuko studied the back of Alfred's head, wondering why it was so easy for him to jump on the defensive for such an innocent question.

Gaang POV(Aang & Sokka):

This should be it," Sokka said, rotating the wheels one more time. "But we have to be sure." He stepped away, giving Aang the go-ahead.

The airbender pulled the lever. The lights darkened, the stars appeared, and unseen gears clanked as the metal rails travelled across the ceiling. Sokka crossed his fingers. Aang fiddled with his airstaff with nervous impatience. Time was running out. Each second was another second Katara and Matthew were left to face Wan Shi Tong alone.

The gears stopped with a slam, and the sun and moon converged with each other. Sokka let out a whoop and scribbled the date down. "Got it!"

The building rumbled. "Let's get out of here!" Aang exclaimed.

They got out of the room just in time for the rails to begin wrenching and groaning with the added weight of the sand above the building. The moon came off of it's housing and hit the stone floor with a hollow clang as they turned the corner and out of sight of it.

"Which way's the exit?!" Sokka asked. "I don't remember!"

"I think it's this way!" Aang called back. He opened his glider. "Hop on!"

Sokka figured he didn't have the time to argue. He jumped onto the back of it and held on for dear life.

Gaang POV(Katara & Matthew):

Wan Shi Tong had found them again at some point-Katara didn't remember how long ago. Now they were just running. Running as fast as they could.

"You can't escape me!" the Knowledge Spirit squawked. "Nothing escapes me!"

The building rumbled. There was a terrible cracking sound overhead. A huge piece of stone dislodged itself from the ceiling and landed square on Wan Shi Tong's back. "Argh!" It barely slowed him down though. He lunged at them, his sharp beak snapping at their heels. Katara spun and blinded him with a decisive whip of edged water in his eyes. The owl recoiled in pain.

"Rope!" Matthew exclaimed over the noise, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her sharply to the right.

Their exit was in sight. Katara hoped that Aang, Sokka, and the Professor had gotten out already. She grabbed the rope and began to climb-

"NO!" Wan Shi Tong bellowed, charging towards them. "YOU WILL NOT LEAVE!" He came to bear upon Matthew, who was still on the ground.

Katara drew the water from her pack, not knowing what she'd do-not knowing what she could do-with only one hand free and hanging from a rope up above. But she had to do something. Matthew wasn't able-

Wan Shi Tong lunged. Matthew's expression remained nearly deadpan as he punched the owl in the eye. The Knowledge spirit squawked in protest and tried to rear again, but Matthew grabbed a bunch of feathers and yanked him back. He then proceeded to punch him in the eye again. And again. And again.

Katara was dumbfounded. How and when did this version of Matthew come into play? She nearly dropped the water that was woven around her free hand. She shook her head and worked to regain control of it-only to find something else...pulling at it. Like...another bender was-

There was a rush of wind that flew up behind her. Something blue blurred past her as it fell. There was a thud, and Sokka was there on the ground with Matthew and an unconscious Wan Shi Tong, brandishing a book.

"Yeah! Take that, Bird-brain!" Sokka crowed victoriously. "Guess we should call you 'He Who Knows Ten Thousand And One Things!"

The ground shook again. Columns began to fall.

"Let's get out of here!" Aang yelled from his glider.

Katara began to climb. Matthew was right behind her. Aang was on his glider, floating up with them. Sokka's urgent voice could be heard from below. "Professor, come on!"

And then the placid response. "Are you kidding? I could spend a life time here..."

Katara kept climbing. Matthew kept climbing. Sokka let out a dismayed sort of grunt, but kept climbing. Aang was there the whole way, ready to sweep them up on a gust of wind if he had to.

Sunlight greeted Katara's eyes, and with a rush of relief, she knew he wouldn't have to.

YES! Done with the Library bit. Which means Alfred's parts are about to pick up a bit in pace. Thank God, I can only write so many travel scenes for these guys.

Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews! Every one is opened, read, and appreciated. Soooo, tell me what you thought for this one? Review?

Later dudes. ^J^