A/N: Finally, a chapter with Zenko's point of view. I figured it was about time I explained how Li is able to visit Wan Shi Tong almost every night. In short, it's a form of Spirit-enhanced astral projection. Astral projection is considered a form of energybending. Canonically, only Korra was able to figure out how to do it using energybending in the Legend of Korra series. However, this is nowhere near as powerful as her astral projection was.

Li can only project himself as far as he does with Zenko's aid. Without her aid, he would only appear as a hitodama or will-o-the-wisp (thus the chapter title), and be unable to travel/project himself very far from his body for very long. He's also completely clueless about how he does this. He honestly still believes he visits Wan Shi Tong in a dream for now. He's not really wrong...

Chapter summary: In which Zenko prepares for another nocturnal journey, gives her word to a worried mother, and speaks with the head of her house.

36: Will-O-The-Wisp

Humans were such strange, complex creatures. She had never really had much of an interest in them before Li came to her rescue in the Si Wong Desert. She had been in the process of returning to the library on Wan Shi Tong's request when she'd made the mistake of passing too close to the buzzard-hornet's hive. Someone must have angered them earlier during the day because they came after her enforce.

She'd only had two tails then. She had been alive for longer than the average human lifespan, but her power was limited by her two tails. She'd fought viciously, but when one of those creatures had snatched her hoshi no tama, her precious starball, she'd pounced. That creature hadn't lived through the night, but her leg had paid the price.

Then in came the Human. Li hadn't asked her for anything. He'd simply slashed the buzzard-hornets until they'd left. Then, when he'd found her starball, he hadn't kept it, taunting her with it hoping to draw out some kind of promise or deal from her. He'd just given it back to her.

He had no idea how much that meant to her. Li rarely brought it up. He sometimes gazed at it when she played with it, but never made any move to touch it or take it. As far as Li was concerned, the starball was hers and he wouldn't do anything to it without her expressed permission.

It was strange and did not match what she knew of Humans. When she learned Li had no memories and only wanted to know, to learn, she stayed and earned herself a new tail. The longer she stayed, the more she wanted to learn about Humans, about Li. He intrigued her. Even Ying and Than and the tiny new Human Hope captured her interest.

She had seen tiny Humans before but they were generally useless and of no interest to her. But now, seeing the tiny Human with her mother and father and Li, she was beginning to understand. Tiny Humans were born knowing nothing. They had to learn as they grew. Just like her brothers and sisters in Wan Shi Tong's house.

Now she had another tail! Two brand new fluffy tails in a month. Zenko could barely contain her excitement. Her family would never believe their eyes. She was so proud of herself. Wan Shi Tong would be impressed. Just the thought of that made her fluff up with pride. But she would have to wait until Li slept before she could see the head of her house.

Sleep. Such an odd thing. Only physical beings required it. It puzzled her. Why would anyone stop learning new things just to spend most of the dark hours unconscious and unaware of the waking world? She knew sleep was a requirement and she knew why, but that didn't change her confusion. The unconscious mind was vulnerable, unguarded, and open to manipulation. No Spirit required sleep, not even her.

And yet, it was… comfortable. She had found that she liked sleeping. She could never allow herself to sleep for very long. But the short naps she took made her feel refreshed. It was strange and fascinating.

But there would be no sleeping tonight, not for her. She would let Li rest as well before helping him to Wan Shi Tong's library once more. The boy was a fast learner. He could almost manage the trip by himself now. It was an impressive feat.

She waited, curled on the old futon next to the tiny Human's crib. Li had spent the past hour telling Than and Ying about his day. The Human woman had pulled Li to her breast and held him there, rocking him as tears slipped from the boy's eyes. Than sat down next to her wearing his nightclothes and sighed.

"Thank you, Zenko," he whispered.

Zenko twitched her ears so he knew she was listening.

"For being there when Li needed you," he clarified. "Thank you."

She hadn't been, though. She growled in the back of her throat. She hadn't been there when the Spirit that had once been a Woman in White had attacked Li. Worse still, Li hadn't told her. The Dai Li had. It irked her. She buried her nose shamefully in her brand new tail and huffed in annoyance.

"You have four tails now?" Than asked in surprise.

She moved her head so she could see the Human's spirit more clearly. His smile was warm and pleasing to her senses, and so was his hand when he pet her head. She smiled and warbled in pleasure earning her a chuckle from the male Human. It would never cease to amuse her how much Humans liked the sounds she made.

"Four tails?" Li said, sitting up from Ying's embrace and staring at Zenko in shock. She watched as his glowing red spirit studied her form, counting her tails. She wagged her newest tail to draw attention to it. Li immediately crawled over to her and ran his hand over her new fur, a steady flow of raise pouring from his mouth. Just the way she liked it.

"It doesn't smell either."

Hmph! Zenko jerked her tail from Li's grasp, stood, and deliberately curled in a ball looking away from the boy. Smelly. Stinky. Indeed! And now Li was frantically apologizing and hovering in confusion while Than and Ying laughed. Ying ran a hand over Zenko's head, scratching one of her ears gently before going to bed.

Zenko remained where she was until Li finally gave up trying to apologize and lay on the futon next to Zenko. She could feel his warm flame burning close to her side but refused to acknowledge him. She could practically feel that red-orange flame of Li's spirit dim at the rejection.

Only when Li's spirit finally dimmed to the dull embers of sleep, did she shift her body so her fur pressed against Li's chin and chest. She rested her chin on Li's vulnerable neck and pressed close to him, feeling the steady pulse under her fur and listening to the boy's slow, deep breaths. She would wait until Li's spirit loosened its hold on him before drawing him out and away to Wan Shi Tong's library once more.

But yet again, Li surprised her. His spirit began loosening the bonds holding it bound to his flesh on his own much sooner than she expected. She opened her eyes and watched the details of Li's spirit become sharper and clearer. The boy was pure Fire and he burned. She had been serious when she told him he burned brightly. Li was a torch to her sight. He could no more hide who and what he was than a badger-mole could masquerade as a pygmy puma.

She waited until Li's spirit wriggled just enough to escape the web of flesh and slip out into the physical world. So vulnerable. She made a soothing sound she knew Li's spirit would recognize and waited for the small red-orange hitodama to approach her like it always did. She flicked her tongue out, her starball balanced on the tip, and tossed the small marble that was her very being playfully into the air.

She would never tire of watching Li's small, vulnerable, disembodied spirit try frantically to catch her starball before it could crash back into the floor. As if she would let something like that happen. Nevertheless, his concern for her well-being, even in a state he would never consciously remember, warmed her heart. She caught her starball with her newest tail with a practiced ease from decades of experience. Li's spirit ball whirled in the air before latching onto her softly glowing starball.

She rolled her starball around her tail, warbling softly deep in her throat as Li's hitodama gave chase. She wanted to be sure Li's spirit was disconnected enough from his body that the distance between Ba Sing Se and Wan Shi Tong's library wouldn't harm him. Besides, Li was such a worrier. Honestly, Zenko was perfectly capable of protecting her vulnerable essence.

Slowly but surely, she felt the tension drain from Li's body, his heartbeat ease to a snail-slug's pace, and his breathing become smooth and regular. Finally, she deemed Li ready for the trek. With the utmost care, she flipped her starball back into her mouth and let Li's hitodama follow. Then she closed her jaws, mindful of her sharp teeth. She didn't want to hurt her Human companion.

Soon, she wouldn't need to do this anymore. Li was learning how to do this on his own. He may not consciously remember this process, but his subconscious did. Before long, Li would be able to make this trek on his own. Although, she considered thoughtfully, if Li ever attempted this during the day with Agni high in the sky, he would learn quicker and need less protection. But not yet.

Night was dangerous to Fire. Night was the domain of Tui and water. It was naturally opposed to Agni and fire. Both independent yet reliant on the other; such a dangerous and delicate balance. Zenko would have to accompany Li every time they did this during the night. Especially now that Li had the misfortune of attracting that malevolent, changed Spirit's attention. She would not lose her favorite Human companion.

"He needs rest."

Startled, Zenko stood and turned to face the Human woman curiously. Fascinating. The woman must have been woken by something.

:He is resting.:

Ying tensed where she lay next to her husband on the other side of the low crib but her brown eyes were stern. "He needs to rest, Zenko," she said again.

Zenko's ear twitched in confusion. She approached Ying, dipping her head so the Human could see Li's hitodama still caged and safe in her mouth. :He is. His body sleeps. He will be rested come morning,: Zenko said, swishing her tails.

The tiny fragile Human in the crib began to gurgle hungrily and Ying sighed, sitting up. "That may be," she said while scooting to the crib and lifting her child to her now bare breast to feed. "But the body is not the only thing that needs rest. The mind must also rest. Someone with a tired mind is just as unhealthy as someone with a tired body. Perhaps more so."

:Does the mind not rest during sleep?: Zenko asked, cocking her head curiously.

"It does," Ying replied, tossing a few strands of brown hair that has escaped her night braid out of her face. "But only when allowed to. You are a Spirit. You don't need to sleep like we do. Like Li does. If you continue to take him with you every night, his mind will never be fully rested."

Zenko sat and pondered the Human's words. Human bodies were fragile. Perhaps more fragile than she had originally thought. She'd watched Li practice his bending every night at Wan Shi Tong's library and his swordsmanship every evening in that old warehouse with Jet. Well, she corrected, every evening except this past evening. After Jet dropped Li off at this apartment complex, he had left. She could still feel the sting in Li's mind when he watched Jet's retreating back.

Truly, Humans were an intricate puzzle. She would have to speak with the Professor about this.

:I will think on your words,: she said. :But tonight we must speak with Wan Shi Tong. It would seem Li has attracted the attention of a Spirit of ill repute. That Spirit is changing to something even I cannot identify. If I am to remain by Li's side and keep him safe, then I must know what I am dealing with.:

Ying paled and she clutched her child close. Her brown eyes turned to Li's still form sleeping behind Zenko. The Human woman's eyes were soft and tender with motherly concern. But when they returned to Zenko, they were cold and hard, dangerous.

This was yet another thing that intrigued Zenko. Humans were generally soft, breakable things. But when something threatened someone they cared about, they gained a strength that was, ironically, inhuman. Human females like Ying, mothers, were most prone to this fascinating state of mind. Zenko had long ago learned never to threaten a child when there was even the slightest chance of the mother finding out. Mothers were vicious enough to make even a Spirit of Wan Shi Tong's power hesitate.

"Protect my boy, Zenko," Ying said, her eyes gleaming in the dark, moonless night. "Bring him back to me."

Or else.

Zenko heard the threat. It didn't have to be said aloud. She heard it and she bowed in acknowledgement. She took no offense. Mothers. Such fascinating creatures.

She loved the wind blowing over her fur when she ran like this. No mortal creature could catch her when she ran at this speed. The dunes of the Si Wong Desert blurred past her, unheeded. Distance meant nothing to a Spirit. Distance was a prison of the physical plane.

Unfortunately, she had no choice but to slow down when she felt Li's spirit, still held securely in her mouth by her starball, began to quiver. He was still mortal, not a Spirit merged with a mortal like the Bridge. The Avatar may yet learn this skill of travel, but Zenko would not be the one to teach him. Either way, Li had his limits. He would likely never be able to travel like this any further than Wan Shi Tong's library. Not without significant aid.

She slowed to a stop when she reached the place where Wan Shi Tong's library once stood, a gem of pearl and white amidst the endless sands. Since the Avatar betrayed the head of her house, the library had been hidden, buried beneath the Si Wong Desert and returned to the Spirit World. Inaccessible by mortals, unless they had a Spirit's aid.

Zenko swished her tails and dove into the sands, sinking easily into the warmth and darkness. This was always the part that was hardest for Li's spirit. The darkness and progressive cooling the deeper they went made Li's spirit shudder, rejecting the opposite of everything he was. Yet another reason why she kept him safe and guarded by her starball. She would let no harm come to him like this.

Then she broke through the fabric of the physical plane and was met by the familiar warmth and light of the library. Home. Her paws clung to the smooth white stone as she bounded down the towering turret at the pinnacle of the library's dome. When she reached the edge of the dome, she leapt into the air, controlling her descent with the abilities granted by her newest tail.

She felt the head of her house sense her presence the moment she arrived. By the time she landed lightly on the center of the highest bridge, Wan Shi Tong was gliding down to her from wherever he'd been studying the latest research that had caught his interest. Zenko waited until Wan Shi Tong landed, his enormous talons touching the stone bridge silently before opening her mouth and releasing her starball and Li's spirit.

Gently, she bumped Li's small red-orange spirit ball with her nose, siphoning some of her own energy into the hitodama and encouraging her Human companion's consciousness to join hers. It took a few seconds for the small ball of Li's spiritual self to resolve into a form close to his Human body. When the glow of Li's inner fire faded, the Human was standing next to her.

He blinked and shook his head, taking a moment to recognize where he was and bow respectfully to Wan Shi Tong. Zenko scooped up her starball, flipping it back to her tail where she could play with it freely. She was safe here in Wan Shi Tong's library.

"Wan Shi Tong," Li said, rising from his bow.

"You return," the Knowledge Spirit said, leaning his head down to stare into Li's eyes. His ebony eyes, as black as the time before the beginning, turned to Zenko and she wagged her tails with a proud grin. She could feel Wan Shi Tong's surprise and pride ripple through her. "You have a new tail, I see," he said.

:Indeed. Thanks to Li's friend Jet,: she declared, burying her nose in her newest tail. :I love it.:

Wan Shi Tong puffed a breath of air on her and she fluffed herself happily. "It suits you," he said simply.

"Wait," Li said, staring at Zenko in shock. His pale gold eyes flicked over each tail before settling on the fourth, widening when they saw it. "You- Jet did- How?!"

Zenko snuffled. :What does it matter? You were too busy commenting on my scent to notice,: she said. She sneezed in disdain. She could feel Li's spirit form flush as Wan Shi Tong laughed softly. :Wan Shi Tong,: she said, straightening and meeting her superior's gaze. :Where is the Professor?:

The Knowledge Spirit straightened to his full height and turned his head almost completely around. "I believe he is in the astronomy section," he said, turning his head back to face her and tilting it slightly in curiosity. "Why do you ask?"

:I think Li would benefit from the Professor's help,: she said, turning his open gaze to her Human companion. :You had questions for him, did you not Li?:

Li's spirit form flickered, reflecting his uncertainty. "I…" He bit his lip and lifted his gaze to Wan Shi Tong hesitantly. "I do. Would it be alright if I spoke with him?"

Wan Shi Tong bobbed his head in a nod. "Of course," he said. He gestured with one large, black wing to an aisle of books behind him. "That way. Three aisles back to the left."

Bowing respectfully once more, Li said, "Thank you, Ancient One."

Then Li hurried past the Knowledge Spirit and down the specified aisle, following Wan Shi Tong's directions. Zenko remained behind on the bridge with the head of her house.

"Now," Wan Shi Tong said, folding his wing and returning his gaze to his subordinate, "what did you wish to discuss away from the Human's ears?"

Zenko wrapped her tails around her paws and met Wan Shi Tong's ebony gaze with her own cobalt. :There is a Spirit in Ba Sing Se who has… changed from her true nature,: she said. :I do not know how or why as of yet. But her change… concerns me.:

The Knowledge Spirit narrowed his eyes and tilted his head like the bird of prey he chose to resemble. "Explain," he commanded.

:She was once a Woman in White,: Zenko said. :She is no longer. I am unsure what she is now. She tried to entice Li to his death but he resisted her and set up a barrier which was reinforced by the Dai Li. However, Li was not unfaithful. He is not in a relationship with anyone as of yet.: Zenko's gaze hardened. :He should not have been her prey.:

"And yet he was," Wan Shi Tong murmured. "Most curious. The Dai Li who aided Li, are they known to you?"

:One is,: she replied. :His name is Tengfei and he came to Li's aid previously. The other is not known to me, but he appeared to be Tengfei's partner.:

"Ah." The Knowledge Spirit ruffled his feathers as he considered his subordinate's words. "Walk with me. There is much I wish to know."