Because I am now on break, I vow to have a long streak of many chapters! Also, this is kind of a peace offering as well. Anywhoosal, this is Book 2 Episode 10...Enjoy!
Aang sat on the barren ground. His friends stood behind him.
"What's out here?" Sokka asked skeptically.
"A lot actually," Toph replied while bending down, "There's hundreds of little-"
"Sh," Aang shushed as Appa groaned, "I know you can see underground, but don't ruin the surprise. Just watch."
Aang brought a carved reed to his lips. He blew into the instrument, creating a singular tone. Immediately, an animal popped out of the ground and matched the note perfectly. Aang chuckled.
"Yeah."
Aang played a different note. In a hole a little farther away, the same type of animal matched the new note. The bald boy threw his arms out in excitement.
"I'm putting an orchestra together!"
"Orchestra, huh?" Sokka asked with a quirked brow, "Well la di da."
Three animals sang three different notes in succession. Momo eagerly hopped into a hole, only to pop his head out of the middle one. Aang continued to play several notes. With each note, a new animal popped up to match him. Momo gleefully chased after each one. Katara started giggling. After a few more notes, Sokka ran over and plugged Aang's instrument with his finger.
"This is great and all, but don't we have more important things to worry about?" he ranted, "We should be making plans."
"We did make plans," Toph interjected, "we're all picking mini vacations."
"There's no time for vacation."
"I'm learning the elements as fast as I can. I practice hard every day with Toph and Katara. I've been training my arrow off."
Katara stepped forward.
"Yeah. What's wrong with having a little fun in our downtime?"
Her brother crossed his arms.
"Even if you do master all of the elements, then what? It's not like we have a map of the Fire Nation," he pointed out, "Should we just head west until we reach the Firelord's house? Knock knock," he pantomimed, "Hello, Firelord. Anyone home?"
The girls suppressed a giggle.
"I don't think so. We need some intelligence if we're gonna win this war."
Aang played one last note with an animal ready to match it. Katara chuckled. Momo ran over to chase it as the twelve year old lifted to his feet.
"Alright. We'll finish our vacation and then we'll look for 'Sokka's intelligence'."
Aang laughed at the wording.
"I feel bad that Lani-I mean Nahla's not gonna be able to have these vacations with us," Toph muttered.
Katara placed a hand in her shoulder.
"Once she gets back, we'll have her pick a mini vacation," she encouraged.
Toph smirked slightly and nodded. Aang pulled open a map of the region.
"Your turn, Katara. Where would you like to go on your mini vacation?"
The water bender bent over as she studied it.
"How about the Misty Palms Oasis. That sounds refreshing."
"Oh yeah," exclaimed Aang, "I've been there. It's a pristine natural ice spring. And I usually don't use the word pristine. It's one of nature's wonders."
The gang stood in front of a measly watering hole that was in the center of a round fence. Huts made from earth leaned against the fence.
"Must've changed ownership since I was here," Aang said awkwardly.
Aang laughed nervously while he led the others closer to the oasis. The sign behind them dropped and broke apart, catching their attention. The group slowly walked past the steaming ice that was being licked by a dog. Aang led them into a building where some strange men watched them walk inside. One of the men spat at the ground, causing Sokka to stop to avoid it. Before he could pick a fight, Katara pulled her brother inside. Inside the building, several men were sleeping. Near the bar, a man with traveling gear talked to the bartender.
"One mango please," he asked politely.
The bartender pulled two swords from behind his back and grabbed an ice bowl. He swiftly placed it on the cutting board before swiping the necessary fruit. Just as smoothly, the bartender divided the fruit until it was a soup-like texture. He picked up the pile and dropped it into the bowl. Then, he hooked one sword threw a jar's handle, pouring the water into the bowl. When he was finished, he sheathed his swords and added a straw and tiny umbrella. The traveler proceeded to take it and place money on the counter.
"I don't see anything wrong with having one of those fruity beverages while we plan our strategy," Sokka whispered.
He pushed Toph and Aang out of the way as he ran over to the bar.
"Excuse me!"
The bartender turned around. Aang proceeded to accidently run into the stranger. The man's drink fell all over Aang's clothes.
"No worries," Aang said cheerfully, "I clean up easy."
The young boy continued to air dry himself. The traveler stared at him in awe.
"You're a living relic!"
"Thanks. I try."
Katara and Toph joined Sokka in getting a beverage.
"An air nomad, right in front of me," the man muttered before bowing, "Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University." He grabbed Aang's hand. "Now tell me, which of the Air Temples do you hail from?"
"The Southern Temple."
Zei gasped gleefully as he held an instrument against Aang's head.
"Splendid. Tell me, what was the primary agricultural product of your people?"
"Uh...are fruit pies and agricultural product?"
"Oh, truly fascinating. That is one for the journal."
"So Professor, you're obviously a well-traveled guy," Sokka piped in, "Do you have a more current map? Ours seems to be a little dated."
"Certainly," Zei replied.
The traveler reached into his pack and pulled out a scroll. He handed it over to the Water Tribe boy. Sokka walked over to a vacant table and unrolled it. The other quickly followed. Toph made herself comfortable by sitting on a chair and laying her feet on a second one. He sipped her cool drink occasionally. The others quickly examined the map.
"What, no Fire Nation?" Sokka whined, "Doesn't anybody have a good map of that place?"
His sister furrowed her brow slightly as she examined the map. She noticed many marked paths into the desert.
"You've made a lot of trips into the desert."
"All in vain, I'm afraid," Zei sighed, "I've found lost civilizations all over the Earth Kingdom, but I haven't managed to find the crown jewel-Wan Shi Tong's library."
Toph raised a brow.
"You spent years walking through a desert to find some guy's library?"
"This library is more valuable than gold, little lady. It is said to contain a vast collection of knowledge, and knowledge is priceless."
"Hmm. Sounds like good times," Toph sarcastically replied.
It seemed to go over the professor's head.
"Oh, it is! According to the legend, it was built by the great Knowledge Spirit, Wan Shi Tong, with the help of his foxy knowledge seekers."
"Oh, so this spirit has attractive assistants, huh?" Sokka asked as a koi smirk appeared across his features.
Katara put her hand on her brother's face and pushed his head slightly. She rolled her eyes.
"I think he means they look like actual foxes, Sokka."
"You're both right. Handsome little creatures."
Zei pulled out a scroll with a drawing of the library on it. He gently placed the scroll onto the table.
"Wan Shi Tong and his knowledge seekers collected books from all over the world, and put them on display for mankind to read, so that we may better ourselves."
The teens looked over the intricate drawing. An idea popped into Sokka's head.
"If this place has books from all over the world, you think they've got info on the Fire Nation? A map, maybe?"
"I wouldn't know. But if such a thing exists, it's in Wan Shi Tong's library," Zei reassured them.
"Then it's settled. Aang, I do believe it's my turn. I'd like to spend my vacation…at the library!"
The other stared blankly at his dramatic delivery. A moment later, Sokka lowered his arm.
"Uh, hey, what about me?" Toph demanded, "When do I get to pick?"
"You gotta work here a little longer before you qualify for vacation time," Sokka rebutted.
Toph scoffed and slammed her drink on the table. She crossed her arms with irritation.
"I bet Nahla would let me pick," she murmured.
"Of course, there's the matter of finding it," Zei continued while rubbing his chin, "I've made several trips into the Si Wong Desert and almost died each time. I'm afraid that desert's impossible to cross."
After a moment, Sokka turned to Aang with a glint in his eye.
"Professor, would you like to see our sky bison?"
"A sky bison? You actually have one?" he questioned excitedly.
The boys nodded before leading the professor outside. Four men from outside the bar encroached Appa. The sky bison growled lowly at the mummified men.
"Sandbenders, shoo! Away from the bison," Zei barked while waving his hands.
The four Sandbenders hurried away and got into two sand-sailers. One in each sailer created a miniature sand tornado, propelling them away and into the desert.
ELSEWHERE...
I stood outside of the shack with my fan open above my head. My pouch laid on the ground next to me. I had been practicing some Kyoshi Warrior moves in an attempt to relax. Unfortunately, it was not keeping the nightmares at bay. Not to mention, my train of thought circled around either Iroh's injury or the location of my friends. I let out an angry huff as I snapped my fan closed and stuck it in the band of my pants. I brought my hand to my chin as I thought.
*Sparring and swimming normally help keep my mind off of everything.* I let out a sigh. *Unfortunately, there's no body of water nearby, so that leaves sparring...*
As if on cue, a voice interrupted my thought.
"What are you doing?"
I spun around to see Zuko. I placed my hands on my hips and smirked.
"Believe it or not, I'm trying to relax."
"Why not try meditating?" he surprisingly suggested.
I chuckled.
"Been there, done that, didn't work."
I circled the teen as I thought. He shifted awkwardly as I did so.
"What?"
"Oh, just wondering why you're being so nice," I mused aloud before returning to my original spot, "It's not like you."
"I could say the same thing about you," he muttered with irritation.
I squinted my eyes at the boy. After a moment, I spun back around and tried focusing on something else. I bent backwards, placing one hand on the ground under my head, and lifting my leg into the air. I cocked my head to the side slightly as I saw Zuko hadn't moved.
"Did you need anything," I questioned, "or are you just waiting for me to kick your butt?"
I bit back a snicker as I saw his cheeks turn the slightest shade of red. I swiped my legs in a circle before standing up. He let out an annoyed grunt.
"I don't understand how you have a fiancé with your overly irritating attitude."
My snickering halted as I lowered my gaze. I turned away from the prince and held my arms over my stomach. I shook my head roughly, ridding myself of any thought of that traitor.
"I'd appreciate if you'd let me train in peace," I murmured, hating myself for sounding so weak.
I lifted my gaze to meet Zuko's golden one. He was staring at me with an almost unreadable expression. I quickly became annoyed.
"Either leave me alone or I'll fight you," I barked harshly, the weak sound fading.
He narrowed his eyes. Without saying a word, he shifted into his bending stance. I picked up my pouch and slung it over my shoulder. I uncapped it and drew out some water.
"I'm not going easy on you, peasant," he taunted.
"Like I care."
Toph sat towards the back of the saddle while holding onto the side. Across the way, Katara leaned against the side of the saddle. To her left sat Sokka. He pulled off his shirt and made a wrap to cover the top of his head. Sokka proceeded to pull out a telescope he had brought with him. He looked through the scope and across the desert. At the very front, Aang drove and Professor Zei sat. Zei crawled toward Appa's nose and looked over his head.
"Tell me, sky bison, are you the last of your breed?" he asked curiously.
Appa let out a long groan, causing the professor great satisfaction.
"Delightful! I only wish I spoke his head. Oh, the stories this beast could tell," he dreamed aloud as he scratched Appa's head.
Momo crawled next to him and started chittering away. This was much to the annoyance of Zei.
"Shush, chatty monkey."
Momo let out another chitter before heading back toward Aang. The young monk examined the detailed drawing of the library.
"Wow. Shouldn't be too hard to find a place like this out here," Aang commented with slight awe.
The sky bison continued to fly his cargo over the desert. The intense heat from the sun beat down on all of them. Eventually, Professor Zei climbed into the back of the saddle. He looked at a scroll of his. Toph grew increasingly annoyed. She gripped the side of the saddle.
"Does this place even exist?" she asked with a huff of irritation.
"Some say it doesn't," Zei promptly replied with enthusiasm.
The earth bender's eyes widened before quickly narrowing.
"Shouldn't you have mentioned that before?"
Toph fell back into the saddle as she let her feet hang off the ledge. Time slowly passed for the group, bringing discouragement to the younger portion. The siblings and Aang continued searching for the library while Zei scribbled in his journal. Toph had returned to her original position.
"There it is," Toph shouted suddenly and pointed.
The rest of the group hastily followed her hand. A swift moment of realization brought them to glare at the young girl.
"That's what it will sound like when one of you spots it," Toph finished.
She proceeded to wave her hand in front of her face so as to remind them that she is, in fact, blind. The group switched positions once again. The siblings were closer to the front of Appa's saddle. Aang, however, remained the driver. Momo slept peacefully as his side. Katara let out an exasperated sigh.
"It shouldn't be this hard to spot a giant, ornate building from the air," she voiced.
Sokka glanced at her then looked through his telescope, nearly passing over a pillar in the distance. He doubled back to see the pillar was still there.
"Down there," he called to Aang, "What's that?"
The lemur hurried away when Aang turned his head to where Sokka was pointing. The tattooed boy had to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun before leading Appa down. The sky bison circled the pillar before landing on the sand. A bit of dust rose into the air. The group slid down Appa in haste and headed closer to the pillar. Again, the water bender let out a sigh as her shoulders dropped.
"Forget it. It's obviously not what we're looking for. The building in this drawing is enormous."
A glimmer in the distance caught the group's eye. They turned to see a fox holding a shining scroll in its mouth. Without acknowledging their presence, it headed towards the pillar. Lacking hesitation, the fox ran up the side of the structure and into one of the Windows before disappearing from sight.
"What kind of animal is that?" Sokka inquired.
"I think that was one of the Knowledge Seekers. Oh, we must be close to the library," Zei gleefully rejoiced.
Sokka returned his gaze to the parchment with the picture. His eyes went from the paper, to the pillar, and back to the paper.
"No, this is the library-look!" He matched the tower in the picture to the pillar in front of them. "It's completely buried."
"The library is buried?" Zei cried out dramatically as he ran forward, "My life's ambition is now full of sand."
The four teens watched as he fell to his knees with hunched shoulders. Without missing a beat, he perked up and pulled a small shovel out of his robes.
"Well, time to start excavating."
Toph walked from her spot and over the rock pillar. She forcefully placed her hand on the structure.
"Actually, that won't be necessary. The inside seems ot be completely intact. And it's huge," she informed them.
"That foxy thing went in through the window," Sokka mused as he cupped his chin, "I say we climb up there and give it a look."
"I say you guys go ahead without me," the earth bender stated.
Katara quirked an eyebrow at her.
"You got something against libraries?"
"I've held books before. And I gotta tell you, they don't exactly do it for me," she shrugged.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
"Let me know if they have something you can listen to."
Sokka quickly finished tying his rope to his boomerang. He tossed it through the closest window to him. To make sure it was stable, the boy tugged on it. He smirked as he began to climb the pillar. Katara and the professor soon followed him. Aang turned happily toward Appa.
"Don't worry, buddy, I'm not making you go underground every again," he spoke gently, "You can stay out here with Toph."
Aang patted his nose once before walking over to the pillar. The bald boy grabbed the rope and began to climb. Appa let out a small groan, causing Toph to look his direction.
"What's up?" she asked.
SOMEWHERE ELSE...
Nahla and Zuko were roughly breathing. The pair was also heavily sweating. The water bender, however, didn't seem to notice her exhaustion. Before he could blink, Nahla lurched into a sprint. She bent water to her hands and created ice. In a fluid motion, she sent a couple of icicles toward the prince. Zuko sent a punch of flames their way, causing his opponent to slide under the fire. Expecting her to pop up, Zuko sent another flame. Before he could generate a large one, he was knocked to the ground. He landed on his face and palms. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see the water bender pop onto her feet with a smirk.
"Don't go thinking I'm predictable, hothead," she taunted.
Zuko kicked his legs in a circle before sending a ring of fire to her feet. Nahla just barely dodged it. She snapped her head at Zuko, her face showing her anger. She gritted her teeth as she capped her pouch. In the same motion, she pulled out her fan. Without missing a beat, Zuko began sending punch after punch at the girl. Nahla squinted her eyes as she swung out her fan, diffusing the one, before she slid under another and jumped over a third. She noticed Zuko smirk slightly. It was then that she noticed a small bit of hair had been singed. Surprisingly, Zuko let out a laugh. It caught Nahla off guard for a brief moment. She shook her head to focus. The water bender gritted her teeth for a second time.
It wasn't long until the two were engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Nahla blocked a punch with her open fan. Her counter attack was blocked as well. The sweaty girl shoved Zuko in the chest, pushing him away. Successfully irritating him, the fire bender sprinted over with an outstretched fist. Nahla snapped her fan closed and extended her own arm. She quickly latched onto the boy's arm and swung him in a circle before tossing him aside-a move Suki had taught her. Nahla smirked to see Zuko remaining on the ground as he tried catching his breath.
"Good match," she huffed before falling next to him.
"Why were you so mad?" he asked suddenly, "We were getting along fine and then...well."
Nahla clenched her teeth. She wanted to leave, but the exhaustion was catching up to her. She rolled her eyes.
"Can't you just enjoy the silence?" she muttered.
Zuko didn't respond. Her blue eyes rose to the cloudless sky. The sun shone brightly above them. Nahla shielded her eyes with her hand. Her eyes slowly lulled shut. Just before she could slip into the world of dreaming, a voice interrupted her peace.
"I see you two are done sparring."
Nahla sat up to see Iroh grinning widely. She let out a chuckle. It seemed Zuko had the same thought.
"You were watching the whole time?" he whined.
"Pretty much."
Zuko blushed slightly when he heard his fellow teenager giggle at his uncle. He looked over slightly to see her standing up.
"Let me check on your shoulder, Iroh," she cooed gently, "and then you can make us some tea."
The aged man nodded in agreement. He turned to his nephew as he stood up.
"I could make the tea while Nahla looks at your injury."
Iroh's eyes widened as he quickly shook his head. Nahla cocked her head to the side in curiosity. She was stunned he said her actual name. Iroh's voice brought her back into the present.
"No, no. That's okay. You don't have to go to all that trouble."
Nahla covered her mouth to avoid voicing the snicker that was behind it.
The group of four climbed down the rope. Momo flew into the building. The professor looked around in awe.
"Oh, it's breathtaking," Professor Zei gasped, "The spirit spared no expense in designing this place. Look at those beautiful buttresses!"
The boys snickered to themselves. Confused, Zei threw a curious glance at the pair.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. We just like architecture," Aang said, holding back snickers.
Completely oblivious, he replied, "As do I."
The group eventually landed on a bridge. Momo flew onto Aang's shoulder. The group looked around in wonder. Zei was especially enthused.
"My word! The exquisite mosaic handiwork of this tile-rendered avian symbol…"
He cut himself off when he noticed the teens staring at him in confusion. The man gave a nervous chuckle. He pointed to the owl mosaic above the arches.
"Eh, nice bird?"
A rustle from the other side spooked the group. The siblings hid behind one pillar, while Aang and Zei hid behind the pillar next to them. Curiosity got the better of the air nomad as he peeked his head around the pillar. His eyes widened as he saw a massive, ebony owl walking across the bridge. The large bird stopped when he noticed the rope. The owl turned to show two white spots on the back of his head. The owl continued to turn his head all the way around.
"I know you're back there," the owl spirit pointed out.
Aang gasped quietly and ducked his head back behind the pillar. The cheeky professor grinned and walked out into the open. He faced the giant owl.
"Hello, I'm Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University."
"You should leave the way you came," the owl insisted, his gaze falling upon stuffed animal heads, "Unless you want to become a stuffed head of anthropology."
Zei thickly swallowed and rubbed his neck anxiously. The remaining three stepped out into the open, hurrying to the professor's side.
"Are you the spirit who brought this library to the physical world?" Sokka asked quickly.
"Indeed. I am Wan Shi Tong, 'He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things'. And you are obviously humans, which, by the way are no longer permitted in my study."
"What do you have against humans?" Aang questioned with confusion.
"Hm! Humans only bother to learn things to get the edge on other humans," Wan Shi Tong declared in annoyanc, "Like that Firebender who came to this place a few years ago, looking to destroy his enemy. So…"
Wan Shi Tong leaned aggressively toward the Water Tribe boy. Sokka immediately began to sweat small beads.
"Who are you trying to destroy?"
"What?" Sokka squeaked, "No-no-no-no destroying. We're not into that."
Wan Shi Tong blinked contemplatively.
"Then why have you come here?"
"Um…Knowledge for knowledge's sake?" Sokka spoke uneasily.
"If you're going to lie to an all-knowing spirit being, you should at least put some effort into it…"
"I'm not lying," Sokka denied, grabbing Aang and pushing him at Wan Shi Tong, "I'm with the Avatar and he's the bridge between our worlds. He'll vouch for me."
"Ow!" Aang turned to the massive owl, "Uh, yeah, I'll vouch. We will not abuse the knowledge in your library, good spirit. You have my word."
The group of four bowed. The great owl did not waver in his expression.
"Hmm… very well. I'll let you peruse my vast collection on one condition," Wan Shi Tong conceded, "To prove your worth as scholars, you have to contribute some worthwhile knowledge."
The professor was the first to walk forward. He held up one of his many books.
"Please accept this tome as a donation to your library."
"First edition, very nice."
Wan Shi Tong swiped the book from the professor's hands with his wing. Katara stepped forward.
"I have an authentic Waterbending scroll."
"Ooh, these illustrations are quite stylish."
Katara smiled as she slowly backed away. Aang moved forward with a thoughtful expression.
"Uh…oh, I know!"
Aang stuck his hand into his shirt as he searched for his item. After a moment, he pulled out a wanted poster of himself.
"I suppose that counts," Wan Shi Tong said with a sigh.
Sokka stepped forward as Aang stepped aside.
"Oh, great spirit, check this out!"
The Water Tribe boy quickly tied the string into a butterfly knot then presented it to the owl spirit.
"Ta-da! It's a special knot. That counts as knowledge!"
"You're not very bright, are you?" The owl spirit asked rhetorically then swiped the knot from Sokka's hand, "Enjoy the library."
The owl jumped from the bridge and down to the lower levels. Sokka glared at the retreating spirit. He turned around and started following his friends. The Water Tribe boy leered over the side of the bridge.
"Bright enough to fool you." Sokka muttered with narrowed eyes.
Toph sat cross-legged beside Appa in the shade of the tower, her elbow resting on her knees.
"So…you like…flying?" Toph asked Appa.
He let out a minor groan before moving to scratch his ear.
"Of course, I'm more comfortable on the ground where I can see. Well, I don't see the way you do. I feel the vibrations in the ground with my feet."
Toph picked up a handful of sand and let it fall through her fingers.
"But this sand is so loose and shifty, it makes every look fuzzy."
Appa gave a louder groan in response.
"Not that there's anything wrong with fuzzy," the earth bender quickly corrected herself.
Appa let out a grunt of satisfaction.
ACROSS THE DESERT...
I sat on the porch of the little shack, the steps to be more exact. My elbows laid across the top step. My one hand twirled drops of water in a circle. I let out a long sigh. I was still tired from the spar with Zuko. I mentally slapped myself.
*I can't let myself get that angry over that...*
I didn't bother to finish the thought. Footsteps from behind caught my attention. The person sat on the porch and let their feet hang. I turned slightly to notice it was the Master of Frustration himself. He remained silent. I rubbed my temple slightly as I could essentially feel Zuko thinking. My hand dropped back to its original position. I clenched my fists and let out a sigh.
"You're still wondering why I instigated, aren't you?"
He nodded slowly.
"Let's just say I am no longer getting married to him," I spoke cynically, "So please, for spirits' sake, don't bring it up again.
His eyes widened at the new information. After a moment, he nodded in understanding. I sunk lower into the steps as a relieved sigh escaped my lips.
The air nomad leaned his back against one of the enormous shelves and sat cross-legged. His gaze was captured by a fox placing a book on a shelf. Once the critter had finished, Aang had returned his attention to the book in his hands. The remaining three looked over the books on the shelves. A picture in the book Aang was reading caught his eye. He held up the book to his friends.
"Hey, look at these weird lion turtles," Aang called out.
The page showed a man speaking with a large lion-turtle. Two animals of the same kind were shown a little farther back.
"Eh, I've seen weirder," Sokka said dismissively before walking away.
"Aang," Katara stated as she walked over with a book in her hands, "Did you know in a past life, you were left handed?"
"I always knew I was special."
Her brother rolled his eyes before looking up. He continued to stroll past the professor while looking at the shelves. He grabbed a scroll, read it, and placed it in his bag. He raised his eyebrow when he noticed a podium at the end of the row. Sokka walked over to the glass encased paper. The paper itself was charred.
"'The darkest day in Fire Nation history,'" Sokka read aloud. "It's got a date at the top, but it doesn't say anything else."
With shifty eyes, the boy pulled out his machete. He skillfully pried open the frame and grabbed the paper. He glanced over it once more before rolling it up. Sokka turned around to see the other three walk into the open. Katara watched him curiously. Her brother started running down a section.
"Sokka, where are you going?" Aang inquired.
"I want to know what happened to the Fire Nation on their darkest day. This could be promising."
Catching their attention, the three followed the fifteen year old through the halls.
"The information on the Fire Nation should be right up here."
The four walked toward an open door with the symbol for the Fire Nation hanging on a banner right above it. They entered the room only to gape at the scene. Piles of ash covered the area where books would've been.
"Firebenders," Aang said softly.
"They destroyed everything having to do with the Fire Nation," Katara added quietly.
Her brother let out an angered groan.
"That's so unfair! Just when I think I'm one step ahead of the Fire Nation, it turns out they beat us here a long time ago." Sokka fell to his knees before saying, "I need to know what happened on the darkest day."
A small whimper caught Sokka's attention. He, along with the others, peered behind them to see a fox in the doorway. The Knowledge Seeker was standing on its hind legs.
"Hello, weird little fox guy," Sokka nearly whispered. warily as they approached the spirit creature.
The fifteen year old slowly approached the fox. The animal stood on all fours, spinning around to point outside of the room.
"Seems it's trying to assist you," Professor Zei deducted.
"Um, sure, I guess I'll follow you."
The group followed the fox as it ran. It wasn't long until the fox led them to a gold, decorative dome that seemed to be apart of the wall. The Knowledge Seeker crawled into a small door that lay next to the dome. The center of the design slowly rolled to the side, revealing the fox to the group. After an exchanging of glances, the group ventured further inside. The Knowledge Seeker pushed its paws against a lever that stood next to a calendar dial. The ceiling began shifting from showing day until night, and eventually back to day. Zei watched with childlike wonderment.
"This room is a true marvel, a mechanical wonder! It's a planetarium that shows the heavens moving!"
The sun appeared on the ceiling, moving through its course.
"Uh, this is beautiful, but how is it helpful?" Sokka asked aloud.
"Maybe these dials represent dates and times," Katara offered, "Sokka, try entering that date from that parchment you took."
"Shh, Katara," Sokka whispered, "Not in front of the fox, he's with the owl."
The creature let out a sad whine as its ears flattened and its tail dropped. Slowly, Sokka attempted to sneakily pull out the paper. He pushed it back into his bag. Sokka proceeded to change the large dials and push the lever. The ceiling began to change again. Aang watched in amazement.
"Wow, I got to hand it to you, Sokka. You picked the best mini-vacation for sure," complimented Aang.
The transition soon slowed to a halt during a day. However, the room was darker than expected. The water bender quickly took this into account.
"Hey, wait. What happened to the sun?"
Aang narrowed his eyes and glanced at Sokka.
"Great, you must have broken it."
Sokka walked next to his friend and squinted. He noticed a subtle detail.
"It's not broken. The sun is behind the moon. It's a solar eclipse! It's literally the darkest day in Fire Nation history! Now I get it!"
Sokka grabbed Aang by the shoulders and shook him, roughly.
"Something awful happened on that day. I don't know what, but I do know why. Fire benders lose their bending during a solar eclipse!"
The Water Tribe boy suddenly pushed Aang back, causing him to stumble.
"Sorry," he hastily apologized.
"That makes sense," Katara jumped in, "I mean, think of what the lunar eclipse at the North Pole did to the Waterbenders. This is huge!"
The fox sat on its hind legs and let out a small whimper. Sokka gave it a small smile as he reached into his bag.
"Fine, you've earned it."
He tossed the treat to the animal. The fox snatched it and left the room.
"We've gotta get this information to the Earth King at Ba Sing Se," Sokka continued, "We'll wait for the next eclipse, then we'll invade the Fire Nation when they're totally helpless. The Firelord is going down!"
"Mortals are so predictable, and such terrible liars," spoke a sudden voice.
The four gulped and Sokka slowly turned around. His eyes widened when he saw Wan Shi Tong standing there.
"You betrayed my trust. From the beginning, you intended to misuse this knowledge for evil purposes," he growled.
"You don't understand. If anyone's evil, it's the Fire Nation," Sokka explained, "You saw what they did to your library. They're destructive and dangerous. We need this information."
"You think you're the first person to believe their war was justified?" the owl demanded harshly, "Countless others before you have come here seeking weapons or weaknesses or battle strategies."
Aang peered up at the spirit. He began to plea with him.
"We had no choice. Please, we're just desperate to protect the people we love!"
"And now I'm going to protect what I love," Wan Shi Tong snapped.
His strong, large wings began to flap. The gust shook the large building.
"What are you doing?" Aang sputtered in panic.
"I'm taking my knowledge back! No one will ever abuse it again," he roared.
Sand began to seep into the building. Katara gasped loudly.
"He's sinking the building! We've gotta get out of here!"
Wan Shi Tong lengthened his neck as his feathers ruffled.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. You already know too much."
Wan Shi Tong jolted at the group with his beak. Somehow, they managed to avoid the deadly strike. The frightened group of four sprinted away from the planetarium. The owl's neck snaked after them.
Appa lifted his head as he caught the sound of something frightening. He started to snarl when he saw the tower sinking deeper.
"I already told you, I don't want to snuggle," Toph reiterated.
She let out an "oof" as Appa stood and rand toward the pillar. She fell onto her back, almost immediately feeling the mass amount of vibrations.
"Library sinking," she muttered as she ran over, "Library sinking!"
The young earth bender threw her fists into the pillar in an attempt to stop it. Unfortunately, her feet began to slip in the shifty sand. Angrily, she let go of the pillar and hardened the ground beneath her. With another determined groan, Toph regained her hold of the tower, stopping its descent.
The group of four sprinted through the vast library. All the while, Wan Shi Tong snaked after them, his wings destroying bookshelves. As they got to the bridge, the professor spun around in an attempt to plea with the spirit.
"Great Knowledge Spirit, I beg you, do not destroy your vast collection of priceless tomes!"
The massive owl paid him no mind as he jolted straight for the man. Aang spun around, creating a jet of air, to pull Zei away from the angered spirit. The professor landed where the siblings stood. Aang hastily sent another attack at the large bird, knocking him over the side. Aang started running toward his friends.
"We've gotta get back to the surface!"
Sokka stood his ground. Noticing, his sister stopped to give him a concerned glare.
"Sokka, let's go!"
"But we still don't know when the next eclipse is gonna happen," he persisted.
"Don't be stupid! We'll find out later," she retorted.
"No, we won't. If we leave this place, we'll never get the information," Sokka informed her, "Aang, come with me to the planetarium, I need cover."
Momo hopped over to Katara as Aang joined Sokka. The brother turned to his sister, while still sprinting in the other direction.
"Katara, take Momo and get out of here."
"But-"
Katara was cut off as the sinister owl broke in between the friends. Sokka yelled to her sister.
"Go!"
Zei and Katara headed away from the large owl.
"Hurry Sokka!"
The boys watched for a moment as dread shot through their minds. With a bit of courage, the two headed back toward the planetarium.
Professor Zei hustled after Katara before diving in between two bookshelves. He covered his head with his hands. The owl blindly flew past as he continued to chase Katara. After a moment, Zei glanced up at the books. Eagerly, he took one and examined it.
Down the way, the water bender continued to try and escape the angered spirit. She chanced a glance over her shoulder only for Momo to alert her. She shot her gaze torward the ceiling to see Wan Shi Tong swooping down at the pair.
Appa let out an anxious groan as Toph struggled with the building.
"What is it now?" she asked through gritted teeth.
She turned her head toward the frantic sky bison. Three sand-sailers raced toward them. Angrily, Appa let out a warning groan. A blast of sand knocked into the beast.
"Who's there?" Toph demanded.
Appa growled menacingly as the three sailers circled him. The sand benders hopped off and encroached the sky bison.
"Why are we doing this?" Aang asked as he followed Sokka into the planetarium.
"Because if this calendar can tell us about eclipses in the past, then maybe it can project when the next one will be," Sokka explained.
They stopped in front of the large dial. Aang remained anxious.
"You can't possibly check every single date!"
"I don't have to," Sokka replied as he began shifting the date, "We just need to check every date before Sozin's Comet arrives. Because after that...well, try not to think about that."
The older boy finished switching the date. Aang hastily pushed the lever as the ceiling started to change. The boys repeated the action many times, each time with a new date. Each tried to disregard the mayhem that was surely happening just outside of the room.
"C'mon, eclipse," Aang begged the machine as he pushed the lever again.
The ceiling changed once again. This time, the moon landed on top of the sun, creating the desired effect. Sokka became ecstatic,
"That's it! The solar eclipse! It's just a few months away."
Sokka hastily wrote down the date and shoved it into his bag.
"Got it. Now, let's get to Ba Sing Se!"
Without hesitation, the pair sprinted away out of the room and headed toward the bridge they landed on when they first arrived.
The sand benders continued to encroach Appa. Each one held a weighted rope and twirled it in circles. A few tossed their ropes over Appa's body. Appa roared loudly and tried to stand on two legs. The sand benders dug their feet into the sand to keep their hold. Eventually, they brought Appa down.
"Don't make me put this down," Toph screamed.
The earth bender dropped her hold on the pillar as she attempted to attack the thieves. The attack missed due to Toph not being able to sense them. She quickly dug her hands back into the falling building.
Appa cried out as his legs were tied up by a sand bender, sending the bison to the ground. The group of thieves started dragging Appa away. Toph could slightly sense this.
"No! Stop sinking!"
Toph quickly let go of the building again as she attempted to land a strike against the sand benders. Each one missed.
"No," Toph desperately shouted.
She regained her hold on the library with sadness. She bowed her head and closed her eyes with remorse.
"I'm sorry, Appa."
The sky bison let out a saddened groan as his eyes slid halfway shut as he was dragged away.
Katara continued sprinting through the shelves. She took a sharp turn causing Wan Shi Tong to knock into another bookshelf. With this distraction, Katara ducked behind a different bookshelf and hugged Momo to her chest. Close by, the angered owl stalked through the aisles. He paused to look from shelf to shelf. He doubled back as he caught sight of Momo's tail. He slowly stalked toward his prey, craning his neck.
"At least I'll have one specimen to add to my collection."
Wan Shi Tong lurched forward and tried to grab the lemur. However, Katara managed to sprint away, still clutching Momo to her chest. The water bender breathed heavily as she ran to the rope. Momo moved to her shoulder as she spun around. Katara shifted into her water bending stance. Wan Shi Tong approached her menacingly, opening his wings to increase his size.
"You're Waterbending won't do you much good here. I've studied Northern water style, Southern water style, even Foggy Swamp style."
Above them, Aang circled the rope via his glider. Sokka let go, holding a book over his head. He pounced on the owl, knocking him out with a book. Wan Shi Tong fell with a thud. Sokka bent over the unconscious bird.
"That's called Sokka style. Learn it!"
The Water Tribe siblings quickly began to climb the rope. Aang flew around on his glider. The oldest boy suddenly stopped as he realized something. He shot his gaze down between a few bookshelves to see the professor sitting with books surrounding him.
"Wait! Professor, let's go!"
"I'm not leaving. I can't," he replied sullenly, "I've spent too long trying to find this place. There's not another collection of knowledge like this on earth. I could spend an eternity in here."
Realizing his seriousness, Katara continued to urge her brother.
"Just go!"
Suddenly, the rope they were holding began to shake violently. Wan Shi Tong had woken up and was screeching. The siblings' grip loosened, causing them to fall. Aang swooped down. Katara caught his waist, while her brother caught hers. Aang flew upwards as the massive owl flew after them.
The trio and Momo escaped through the window they had entered from. The siblings fell into the sand while Aang fell into a more graceful crouch. Toph let out a final groan as she let go of her foothold. The library quickly sank, causing a surge to throw Toph onto her back. When the dust settled, a crater covered the area where the library had been.
"We got it. There's a solar eclipse coming," Sokka rejoiced as he hugged his sister, "The Fire Nation's in trouble now!"
The young air bender stood off to the side looking around the barren desert. His confused expression gradually turned into a worried one. He took a couple steps toward Toph. The girl sat on the ground with her knees pulled in and her hands on her temples.
"Where's Appa?" Aang asked worriedly.
Toph let out a remorseful whine before shaking her head. The tattooed boy's eyes widened with concern. A single tear fell down his cheek.
Yay! Okay, so like I said at the top, I am on break from school. So that means a lot more updates! I will do my best to get out as many as I possibly can over break because you guys deserve it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even the non canon portions with Nahla. A bit of trivia, if Nahla had stayed with the Gaang, she would've been super excited to go into the library. She's kind of a nerd. But, she wouldn't have had anything to contribute to the library and I don't think Wan Shi Tong would've taken that. Anywhoosal, I believe I have replied to the latest reviews via PM. Thank you all for the wondrous feedback you are all providing! Please continue to R&R-it may be crazy but I enjoy it. Don't hesitate to ask me to clear anything up or comment on something. All of it is appreciated!
Okie doke, time to start the next chapter. Stay fantastic you glorious people!
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