DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER ONLY MY CHARACTERS
A/n: Sorry if this is unedited i procrastinated for a long time before i could get this up.
sorry
THE POWER OF THREE
BOOK 1, SCROLL 8: DOMAIN OF WON SHI TONG
The Desert lay just beyond the mountains as Sokka led the way down from the mountains to at last the desert where Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph had lost Appa to a bunch of poachers. Those same poachers tried to attack Aang and force him into the Avatar State. The original journey was to find the library of Won Shi Tong for a professor at the Ba Sing Se University. He was eventually trapped in the library with the spirit as he sent his library elsewhere. The owl spirit however will not leave the desert for its isolation and large expansion. As they walked through the desert Toby and Aang continued to learn firebending from Iroh who is willing to teach them. Aki and Toby being the only other two who can't bend just learn the moves anyways figuring it is also a way to fight. Katara also helped with waterbending moves to show them an easier way to fight well mostly for Aki who is a girl. Toph being Toph decided out of boredom to teach them the moves of earthbending just for the fun of it. And Aang thinking it was good to pass on the moves of his people taught them airbending moves to the group they watched as the three caught on.
Toby and Aki also helped them with other things while Keith practiced controlling his fire. It was at these times that Keith had a hard time controlling his flame since he constantly is singed by it. As the Days wore on when they crossed into the desert they noticed that some things never changed like the heat. Aki, Toby and Keith seemed used to it while the others sweated and roasted in the desert sun.
Appa having thick fur panted from the strain of being in the sand but the good thing was is that his feet are wide enough to keep him from sinking into it. The others when they grow tired would ride on Appa's back as the sky bison walked with them. The desert proved to be hotter then anything and their water soon began to dry. As they entered deeper into the desert it was by luck that they found the crater again where Won Shi Tong's library once stood Aang had to concentrate for a minute before the words that Avatar Roku told him came to mind. , "I have come to seek knowledge and in turn give knowledge. By the ways of the four gods of the four nations and in the name of the three I command you to appear before me!"
Aang slowly closed his eyes and chanted"I have come to seek knowledge and in turn give knowledge. By the ways of the four gods of the four nations and in the name of the three I command you to appear before me!"
As he said this the earth began to shake as the ground began to rise and in turn the library of Won Shi Tong rose from the ground with sand spilling everywhere. When it rose again the others stood fascinated by its sheer size. They stood before the massive doors of the library a dark shadow loomed out from it and there stood Won Shi Tong himself with a look of fury on his face.
"Why have you returned here!" he nearly shouted
"We were sent here to seek knowledge," Katara answered back
"And why would I give it to you?" Won asked
"Because it is of vital importance for the fate of our world and countless others lies in the balance," Iroh said stepping out for the first time.
Won Shi Tong recoiled, "How dare you bring a firebender here!" he said and when he saw Zuko his fury grew even more.
Zuko and Iroh having heard the story approached Won Shi Tong slowly, "We've heard what happened to your library and as prince of the Fire Nation I grant my most sincere apologies oh great knowledge spirit." With that he bowed low in respect.
"I do not except such apologies human however given that you are sincere about it I will let it slide, but the knowledge that was gathered through out the years from that nation has been lost," he said,
"Not so great one," Iroh said stepping out from Zuko's side, "I am Iroh and as such I have a private library back home that you can gladly have in exchange for the loss that you have suffered," he said.
The knowledge spirit seemed to think about this for a second, "How large is your library?" he asked, "Quite large I am of the royal family so of course we keep quite a record." He said
Won Shi Tong had to think for a moment before he nodded, "Very well your gift is accepted, but you are still forbidden from entering," he said.
"We know that and we are sorry for breaking our word," Katara said.
"What is going on?" asked Aki and it was the first time that the knowledge spirit looked up and noticed the three. His eyes lit up when he noticed the three, "My word!" he said and vanished only to reappear behind Aki, Toby and Keith.
"What have we here?" he said as he studied them.
After about a few seconds his eyes lit up again, "Ancients!" he screeched and took flight excitedly.
All around him his fox-like knowledge seekers came rushing out. The others looked at each other with worry as they came by the thousands. Won Shi Tong waited for them to all gather before settling down again. When he did he walked around the group especially eyeing Aki, Toby and Keith. The group moved back a bit when the knowledge spirit walked towards them.
"You bring me a pleasant gift indeed," he said
"I see you feel very uncomfortable ancient ones," he then spoke in English.
"You speak English?" they said at once
"But of course I know more then 10,000 things and this library is my creation so that way I can keep record of all the knowledge that was learned long ago till today. But it was destroyed by these fools right here!" in anger the spirit turned to Aang and the others.
"What have they done to deserve this?" Toby asked, "A fellow bender like them has invaded my library and sought knowledge for war. In doing so he destroyed my library and the knowledge of the fire nation," he said in anger.
Aki, Toby and Keith looked down, "We are sorry for the loss we came all this way for nothing," Aki said,
"Oh really? What is it that you search for oh ancient ones?" He asked,
"We seek the knowledge of The Door of Time so that way we can go home," Aki said in Chinese.
Won Shi Tong had to think about it before his reply was firm. "That knowledge was deep under the library far from the fire nation's knowledge for that is where I keep the knowledge of the ancients. How is it that you came here?" he asked
"We were accidentally transported here and need a way home and the gate is the only option," Toby said.
The knowledge spirit nodded before moving aside,
"You may enter but I give you a warning now; do not abuse this privilege. You came here to seek the knowledge of the door of time and thus before you enter you must sacrifice a piece of knowledge as well." He said.
Aki, Toby and Keith looked at each other before going through their pockets and seeing what they have to bring. It was then that Aki remembered her back pack. Running back to Appa she climbed on board and brought out her lap top. Opening it up she then dug through it and came with a piece of information that she found and copied it to a disk. When she did she walked forward to Won Shi Tong and bowed low,
"This piece is from the three of us it has information on our world and I know that you don't have the means to tap into it, and if you do we ask that you keep this knowledge to yourself or until someone worthy enough comes to seek it." Aki said
The knowledge spirit looked impressed,
"I have such a device for this, your knowledge is safe with me," he said and vanished.
That was before his voice could be heard,
"A fair warning to the group that is with you: treat my items with respect I better not find anymore burned materials here,"
They walked through the library exploring the many scrolls when a head popped up.
"Professor Zei it was a long time since we last saw you I thought you died?" asked Katara as she ran up to him and gave him a hug.
The professor hugged her back, "I thought I did that is until I made him an offer that he can't refuse," he said.
"Oh really what kind of offer is that?" asked Zuko.
"Well since he was about to kill me I told him I am very good at organizing stuff. So Won Shi Tong made me an offer and that offer was to become his librarian assistant. The only problem is that I am never allowed to leave the library again," he said sadly.
"In other words you're his prisoner," said Iroh and Zei nodded.
When the group finally entered the library Zei was the one who showed them where they needed to go. The deeper they go into the library the older the books get but that depends on the section they go into.
When they finally got to the bottom they were surprised that the books remained intact but the problem was that they are covered in a thick layer of dust. Each book or scroll is in such a misused state that Aang and the others worried that they would crumble with the slightest touch.
Iroh walked in first as his soft steps filled the echoing hallway. He looked around before he grabbed a book that was marked in strange writing. Opening it up he could not read what was written.
"Is this the ancient language?" Iroh asked as he returned with the book
Zei read it, "Yeah it is but I don't have anything that would help me read it," he said.
"It is just a book on gardening," said Keith as he crossed his arms.
The others looked at him, "Um excuse me young man but what did you just say?" Zei asked
"I said it is only a book on gardening," Keith replied
"Young man can you read this writing?" asked Zei
"Oh course we all can," Keith said and both Aki and Toby nodded.
"Well I'll be damned," Zei said
"Well since it is obvious that we are not from here lets start reading shall we," Aki said as she made her way down the hallway full of scrolls while Toby and Keith split up to look in other sections for the answers.
As they searched it was Aki who found the right place. It was down a dark part of the library as she walked in. Aki could barely see the light from farther away as she sneezed several times due to the dust that littered the place. As she walked around it was then that she spotted a scarcely lit room not too far from the shadows that she was occupying. Slowly she walked towards it and it opened up into a room filled with stars.
"What the hell?" Aki said,
"Did you find something Aki?" asked Aang,
"Look at this!" she said and the others ran into the room,
"It is another observatory!" said Sokka.
"Ah the hall of the universe I see you've found it," said Won Shi Tong as he entered the room.
"How do you know?" asked Katara,
"I have set foot only once and that is when the Ancients built this place. You see I am not the builder of this library I am merely its keeper. My knowledge seekers were created by the ancients as gatherers of knowledge of this world and some yet have crossed into the other world. From what I understand they built this place to study the stars," he said as he walked further into the room,
"This room has many secrets one of them being this!"
With that he pressed his foot on the ground and the room lit up and changed into that of a fiery storm. People suddenly appeared as they suddenly found themselves in another world. Many people where crying and screaming for their lives. Everyone looked around as fire poured from the sky.
"What the…" said Zuko as he and Iroh entered the room; both were shocked by the amount of people screaming,
"This is a holographic image of the events that took place long ago when the ancients were here," Won Shi Tong explained,
"What is a holly gram?" Aang asked,
"Hologram it is a three dimensional image that is practically see through that moves or not." Said Toby as he and Keith watched fascinated as people ran for their lives till there was no one left.
It was there that a group of people gathered as the image changed to that of a room where three men surrounded a crystal.
"The crystal is unstable we must do something!" one guy yelled,
"Like what? We can't destroy that gate it is our one way ticket home!" Said another,
"Well how do we stop it?" said the third,
"It was shattered because of us we need to shut it down before it's too late," said the last one
And with that they all called forth their energy to shut down the machine. It was then that a huge wave of light shot forth from the machine and a lot of people vanished into thin air. It was then that a 3D image of the same crystal went dormant.
Zuko walked towards one of the holographic windows and looked onto what is now the Fire Nation. Shocked he took a step back in alarm,
"By Angi!" he cursed.
"So it is true then the Fire Nation has the crystal," Iroh said and the others agreed,
"We have to stop them," said Katara,
"But how? We don't know a thing about the crystal," Sokka spoke up.
"The men said that the crystal was their only chance to get home and so they did not destroy it however it was shattered into four pieces," Aki said translating what the men had said.
The image then changed into that of people rallying against the tower and all those who stood in their way.
"End with all those who came from the other world!" one shouted in the language of this world.
Aki, Toby and Keith watched as the people of the now Fire Nation attacked the tower driving those with guns and weapons they are familiar with back through the portal into their world. They then sealed the tower but not before a dark light came from the crystal as a last cry. The scene changed again to that of the crystal's room and several men surrounding the crystal,
"The crystal is too unstable for us to take back," said one,
"I know that John but we must shut it down or else the instability will destroy this world as well as our own its dark power will destroy us all." Said another one obviously older,
"How do we fix it then?" asked the one called John,
"The missing pieces will have to be found I have orders to store this document into the library on how to deactivate the crystal but the required amount of power is too much for this world and I am afraid that we are not the ones who are going to have to do it," said the first,
"Then who?" asked John
"I saw that three of our kind from another time will be the ones to save us for we can only make the crystal dormant for the time being and while dormant it will do no harm. But once awakened only those who possess the remaining three pieces of the crystal can restore its power to what it once was," said the older one
Everyone watched as the older of the men said some sort of word and the crystal went dormant closing off for the time being and just in time.
Just as they deactivated the crystal the Fire Nation solders burst into the room along with those of the other nations and killed off the two men as well as many others who tried to get away but not before the older of the two talking men shut down the crystal.
"By the power of the last three shards and by the power of the one these people call the Avatar can this world and our own be protected for all time," said the last one,
"The power of three,"
With that the image ended and they found themselves back at the room of the universe.
"Whoa," said Sokka
"That even for me was intense," said Zuko
"So that is what happened to the ancients," said Katara
"Yeah," said Aang
"So we have this thing inside of us?" asked Keith
"I'm afraid so my young friends," replied Won Shi Tong
"How do we know about these shards?" asked Toby
"Let me see," said Won Shi Tong
He called forth Professor Zei, who quickly answered,
"Take our friends to the Kitchens to eat all this exploration must make them hungry while I go search for the missing documents,"
Zei bowed as he led them away towards the kitchens.
"Oh wow this is awesome!" Sokka yelled as he dug in everyone else could only stare.
They ate for a good half an hour the table wide and full of food where all the knowledge seekers sat there waiting for them. As they settled down Won Shi Tong himself entered the dining area.
"Let us eat for our guests have come from far and wide to grace us this evening,"
They ate in silence they felt uncomfortable with the owl spirit as he too ate his meal. The only one seemingly to enjoy his one and talk up a storm was Momo.
The Lemur ate all of his dinner and tapped his stomach lovingly.
The others only ate more slowly until it was Won Shi Tong who spoke.
"You have come seeking knowledge of the Doorway correct?" he asked and they all nodded.
"At least I know that you will not destroy my library unlike some firebenders. I recently received knowledge of his demise at your hands mighty Avatar." And at this Aang blushed with embarrassment.
"You can actually thank the ocean god for that," Aang replied.
"Oh so he did it?" Wong Shi Tong asked
"Yes he used my body to exact his revenge for killing the moon goddess," Aang replied.
"I understand now thank you for that information." Won Shi Tong replied as he had a knowledge seeker fill it out on a scroll and it took off.
"The information you seek can't be found on any scroll only legends and diagrams anywhere else. But I have the information you seek." With that he turned around and his eyes began to glow as it showed on the wall.
"The crystal itself is created by the powers of the four elements. And such the only way to properly power it is if the elements were there. But there is another factor," he said and it shows the diagram on the floor surrounding the crystal.
"What many don't know is that the crystal itself is only the power source. The real mechanics is in the floor itself. In fact the whole tower is the door."
At this statement everyone gasped.
"Oh shit! That thing in the floor is the door!" Keith swore
"Yeah it is like some sort of ritual or something I bet it was created using magic and technology look at the buttons," Aki pointed out.
Toby also noticed, "Hey look there is some sort of computer off to the side too against the wall where that guy is,"
"Yeah I can see it I think that is the control panel." Aki replied.
"Could you guys please talk in a language that we all can understand?" Sokka asked
"Sorry we just noticed the controls to the device," Toby said pointing.
"Then you know how it works?" Zuko asked
"From what we understand it is a machine based on both ritual magic and technology. And if used correctly opens the door, but if used the wrong way…"
"It becomes a weapon," Katara finished.
"From what I understand of this Fire Lord Ozai he used the doorway as a weapon in order to steal the bending powers of all the benders in the world." Aki said.
"Yes, that is true but he does not understand the consequences that he has unleashed on the world." Won Shi Tong said as he changed the diagram to that of an image of the world destroyed.
"The first time someone used the device for something such as this, this was the end result," and the images showed the world destroyed.
"When the ancients used this door there were those who wanted to use the power of the door for evil. There was a great war and the tribes gathered to help the ancients who have the power to control all the elements."
"Just like Aang!" Katara interrupted
"Yes just like the Avatar, However the Ancients could do it further they can use the powers to summon whole storms at leisure and rip this planet apart. They almost did when the war began." Won Shi Tong said
"War?" asked Zuko
"A civil war that wiped out the Ancients. Those that wished for evil used the door to destroy all the other ancients, but they could not control the power of the door." He said
"When the door finally went dormant it sucked all the energy from every bender in the world. When the bending powers returned nearly a hundred years later the ancients were no more. Only one remained however who was not touched by the Door's power. This one saw that the world was dying and thus used the energies that remained in the crystal to keep the world balanced until the benders powers could return. Thus that person became the very first Avatar."
At this the group gasped
"It was after the tribes began to form the four nations that the 'Avatar' became something of legend. Good deeds were done in their place as well as people trying to win the person's favor. But the Avatar would have none of it. This person vowed to be part of no nation yet is born from one every time they died. That way a balance was assured and the nations would not make the same mistakes as the Ancients did." He said
"Just like how my father is doing now," Zuko replied
"Yes, the current fire lord does not realize the mistake that he is getting into. If he uses the powers of the door to its full deadly potential then the world will repeat the same mistake that the ancients did long ago." Won Shi Tong said.
"You said the door was meant to transport people to different worlds not to use as a weapon, why does Ozai want to use its powers such," said Aki
"Ozai wishes to finish the work of his grandfather Sozen we must stop him before the world is destroyed." Iroh said getting up
"It is getting late I hope the knowledge I passed to you ancient ones will help you in defeating this new evil and to restore the balance," Won Shi Tong said
"I hope so too great spirit," said Keith as he and the others bowed in respects.
--LATER THAT NIGHT---
"So we leave in the morning?" said Toph as she curled up on her nice soft bed
"Yeah we kind of have to," said Sokka
"I know this may suck but we have to perfect our bending powers before we face against fire lord Ozai," Toby said and Iroh nodded in agreement.
"Yes but we still have a long ways to go before you are ready," he said
"What about me?" Aang asked
"You too Avatar you must prepare as well," with that Iroh's snores could be heard a few minutes later and some quite laughter.
"Get some sleep guys for tomorrow is a long day," Katara said and they all curled up to go to bed.
TBC
