Hey guys, I'm back. I just finished my first week of college and it has been going great. I want to apologize for the wait, but as a warning, this is probably going to be how the updates for all my stories will go.
On to the story: I have been periodically writing this for about 2 weeks now, and it's finally done. My longest chapter yet: 7,590 words long. There is a lot going on in this chapter and I hope you like it. And I apologize in advance for any choppiness or incoherencies. This chapter was hard to write, even with the Avatar Wiki to help me with remembering some of the dialogue and events.
Thanks for reading, and please review.
Chapter 9: The Library
This is getting ridiculous. She is happy one minute, sad the next and then gets angry at everything. But now, all she is, is angry. Sokka groaned. Katara has been unstable since the battle with Azula. She was closed off and quiet during her injury, then sad about the whole situation of not being able to do anything, but now, she seems angry at everything. Mad at Sokka. Mad at Toph. Mad at plants. Herself. Everything!
However, all of this, was Sokka's fault. After Katara finished healing the burn on her leg, she had become happier, being able to do things again. That is, until the siblings got into an argument about where to camp. They traded a few insults until their own tempers took over. After Katara called her brother a 'lazy hog-monkey that she is ashamed to be related to,' Sokka lost his own temper, sending her into a crash course into sadness and then anger the moment he spoke.
Flashback...
"You know what, Katara?!" Sokka yelled, fists clenched at his sides and a blind earthbender behind him. "You are nothing but a lousy, good-for-nothing sister who drove away her best friend and now you waltz around with your new 'bare legs' routine, and attracting boys to you like fish to water!" He stopped, realizing what he had said as he gazed into the broken and teary eyes of his sister. He knew everything he said was wrong, from Aang's separation, to her bare legs; which is just because her leggings got burnt and she hasn't been able to find new one's at the last town they were in. "K-Katara, I'm-" But he was cut-off by a water whip to the face as his sister stormed off. Ashamed, he looked down to the ground, hoping his mother hadn't heard any of what had happened.
"Now you've done it, meat-head!" Toph exclaimed.
End Flashback...
I can understand her being mad at me, but why everything else. Sokka thought as Toph came back to camp. "Any luck?"
"What do you think, bozo?"
"Bozo?" He asked, intrigued at the new nickbame.
"Eh, thought I would try something new." She sat down on a nearby rock as Sokka leaned against his own. "Anyway, she's just staring at those groundhog things that keep popping out of the ground."
"We need to find something to cheer her up." Sokka mused, pulling out a map. He scanned it, tracing his right index finger along a sightline. "Aha! This is it!" He exclaimed, holding up the map to Toph. "Don't you see, this is perfect!"
"No, I don't see." She muttered in reply."
"Oh, right. Anyway, it's called the misty palms oasis; it's perfect for her."
"Yeah, it might be if you can convince her to go."
"Well, brace yourself." And with that, Sokka and Toph got up to get Katara.
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After dodging water whips and other assorted waterbending attack moves, Sokka and Toph were eventually able to convince Katara to go. Though Katara claimed she was only going in order to get them off her back, she was inwardly intrigued by the concept of the oasis. As she sat in the back of the saddle with her arms crossed, gazing off the side into the vast desert below, Katara tried to imaging such a place out here. But every time she thought about the oasis, Katara had to remind herself of her larger, more important mission: getting Aang back.
As Katara finished her thoughts, the group had landed just outside of a small village with a short, circular wall. The grass plains seemed to end right there, the edge of the desert. After Sokka slid off of Appa, he offered a helping hand to his sister. Who, instead, slid down on her own and walked passed him, completely ignoring him. Sokka shook his head and followed, alongside Toph, after his sister.
Once inside the main gate, Sokka noticed the small, sandstone huts and shops, though he noticed his sister had stopped walking. She was just standing there, staring at a large chunk of ice in the middle of the village. It obviously wasn't what it was supposed to be. Katara scoffed sarcastically, "Nice choice, brother."
Sokka clenched his fists, "I am sick of this!" He huffed. "What's your problem, Katara?!"
Katara scrunched her face in anger and turned around to face her brother. She walked up to him until their noses were nearly touching. She jabbed her finger into his chest. "Do you wanna know what my problem is?!" She yelled. "My problem is that I have been burned! I have been cut! My best friend is gone! And, you! Keep! Pestering! Me!" She yelled, leaving a speechless Sokka and onlookers alike.
"Guys, you're making a scene." Toph interjected.
Sokka looked down in shame, "Katara," He sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just that...it's hard to see you like this, and it's frustrating and sad for me at the same time. I just want you to be back to normal, ok Katara."
She was on the verge of tears, "Well, if you're so sorry, then why don't you bring...m-mom back!" She started to let out choked sobs. "Or-or A-Aang." She whimpered, falling into her brother's shoulder and soaking it with tears.
All Sokka could do was hold her tight and rub her back. After a few moments of sobbing from Katara, she finally began to relax and only produced shuttering breaths. "Katara?"
"M-mmmh" She hummed into his shoulder.
"I know I'm not the best brother, but I want you to know that I love you and I'll protect you, no matter what." He murmured, rubbing his sister's back.
Katara pulled away from him with swollen red eyes and a sad, yet grateful smile on her face. "Sokka, you're the best brother in the world, and I know you love me; I love you, too. I know you will protect me, but it's...it's just been hard."
Sokka smiled, "I still want to apologize calling you a...uh...uh." Katara gave him an angered, yet expecting quirk of the eyebrow. "Uh...never mind, you...know what I was getting at." He averted his eyes.
"Smooth." Muttered Toph.
Katara smiled and brought her brother into a hug. "Apology accepted." She pulled back and playfully nudged his shoulder with her elbow. "Now, let's get something to drink. It's extremely hot."
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Inside a small shack, the three friends noticed a bar serving drinks, with quite a few sandbenders around, and an old man sitting at a Pai Sho table. They now realized they were in a tavern. The hanging sign behind them fell down, as a man, in rather large hat, at the bar orders a drink. "One mango, please." The bartender uses two swords to slice a bowl from a large chunk of ice. He cuts down some mangos from the overhanging fruit and dices them up. He chops up a piece of fruit and pours a jug of milk into the bowl, still using the swords. He throws a decorative umbrella and straw into the bowl and serves it to the man, who gives the bartender a coin.
Impressed by the whole display Sokka mused his thoughts aloud, "I don't see anything wrong with having one of those fruity beverages while we figure out what to do now." Sokka runs up to the bartender, "Excuse me." At that moment, the man in the hat bumped into Katara, spilling his drink all over her.
"I am so sorry, my dear!" The man gasped in horror as Momo came to lick the liquid off Katara.
"No, no, it's ok." Katara defended. She used a couple intricate motions with her hands, causing all of the liquid to leave her clothes as she tossed it out the door, Momo perched on her shoulder.
The man gasped, gazing at her. "You're a waterbender! And...and is that a flying lemur. Where did you get it."
Katara looked down, she might as well be honest to the man. "Well...you see...my friend is the Avatar. This is his lemur, Momo."
"May I ask where the Avatar is?" The man asked.
Katara sighed. "We got separated a little under two months ago." A very solemn expression came over her face.
The man saw her change in demeanor and tried to comfort her. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you will find him soon."
"I hope so." Katara muttered, turning away.
"I suppose a formal introduction is needed. I am Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University."
"So Professor, you're obviously a well-traveled guy. Do you have a more current map? Ours seems to be a little dated."
"Certainly."
Sokka unrolled the map given to him on a table and examined it while Toph sipped her drink and propped her legs on another chair. "What, no Fire Nation?" He straightened up. "Doesn't anybody have a good map of that place?" He has been wanting a map of the Fire Nation, for when the time came that they would need it.
Katara walked up behind and examined the map. "You sure have made a lot of trips into the desert."
"All in vain, I'm afraid. I've found lost civilizations all over the Earth Kingdom," He rose his fist slightly, "but I haven't managed to find the crown jewel: Wan Shi Tong's Library."
"You spent years walking through the desert to find some guy's library?" Toph asked, sounding as if both surprised, and annoyed.
"This library is more valuable than gold, little lady. It is said to contain a vast collection of knowledge, and knowledge is priceless." Zei replied.
"Hmm, sounds like good times." Toph replied sarcastically.
"Oh, it is. According to 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, intrigued.
Katara put her hand over her brother's mouth to stop him talking. "I think he means they look like actual foxes, Sokka.
"You're both right." Katara and Sokka turn to him in surprise. Cut to Zei. "Handsome little creatures." He took out a drawing of the library and places it on 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 might better ourselves."
"If this place has books from all over the world, do 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.
"Then it's settled. I would like to go to THE LIBRARY!" Sokka exclaimed triumphantly, pointing his finger into the air.
"Of course, there's the matter of finding it. I've made several trips into the Si Wong Desert and almost died each time." Zei finished with a depressed tone. "I'm afraid that desert's impossible to cross."
"Professor, would you like to see our sky bison?" Sokka asked cockily.
"A Sky Bison. You actually have one?!" Zei asked, completely shocked.
Sokka piped up, "Yeah. He's Aang's!"
Zei put his hand on his chin. "Am I right to presume Aang is the Avatar."
"Yes." Sokka confirmed. Meanwhile, Katara was somewhere else, not physically, but mentally. Lately, Sokka had often caught her spacing out, or in deep thought. Sokka noticed this, "Katara." Nothing. "Earth to Katara!"
"Huh, what?" She visibly shook her head to get herself out of her thoughts.
"You spaced out." He stated simply. "Again."
"Sorry, I was just thinking. Are we ready to go?" She tried to reassure with a smile, though she started to fiddle with her braid. She knew she was struggling. Who wouldn't? Losing your best friend and then getting hurt.
Sokka gave her a questioning look, but dismissed her odd behavior. She's hiding something."Yes we are ready."
They all gathered on top of Appa, ready to take flight. Sokka took the reins and said the two words that would let them take flight. Toph sat at the back edge of the saddle in the corner, Katara was next to her in the other back corner while Professor Zei was at the front of the saddle, looking out at the blue sky, feeling the wind that comes with flight. Sokka was a little uncomfortable, though. Something was wrong with Katara. But, what is it? She went from angry, to hiding away in her own thoughts and not really speaking to anyone. Sokka turned around to see Professor Zei now looking off the sides for the library. He also saw his sister, arms crossed and leaning on the edge of the saddle. Her chin resting on the back of her hands while she gazed off into nothing. She really does miss him. He turned his attention back to the horizon of the desolate desert.
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"Uncle," Zuko paused, looking around at the run-down village. "Why did you bring us here?"
"That which is hidden, but is always there." Iroh mused allowed.
Zuko and Aang stopped and gave each other a confused, and questioning look, as Iroh continued into a sandstone hut. "I know I've been traveling with you guys for a while, but, is he always that cryptic."
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"Hey, look...Fire Nation wanted posters!" Xin Fu pointed out. He saw the images of the banished Fire Nation prince, Iroh and The Avatar.
"So?" Yu asked.
Xin Fu's gaze followed the three into the tavern. "So, look who's here."
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Zuko sighed and looked at his feet. "Yeah. He is." They continued into the hut only to find Iroh standing in front of a Pai Sho table with an older man across from him."
"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?"
"I don't think this is a gamble." Iroh muttered with a smile. Iroh stepped forward, offering the man a smile. "May I have this game?" He asked.
The man gestured for Iroh to sit down. "The guest has the first move." Iroh sat down and place the lotus tile in the center of the board. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways." He cupped his hands towards Iroh.
"Those who do can always find a friend." Iroh stated with a serious smile. He copied the man's gesture of cupping his hands toward him.
Aang leaned towards Zuko and whispered, "There he goes again." Zuko chuckled at the remark.
"Then let us play." The old man placed a tile on the board, quickly followed by a tile placed by Iroh. Seemingly without even looking at what the other person was doing, the two man quickly place their tiles on the board. Zuko and Aang sat down and watched intently as the two man place one tile after the other. When they were done, their tiles form the shape of a lotus flower. "Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."
"What are you old gasbags talking about?" Zuko was confused and frustrated at this point.
"I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game." Iroh replied. Zuko looked at Aang and only shrugged. Iroh rolled the tile through his knuckled and clutched it triumphantly.
Xin Fu was getting impatient. He jumped up out of his seat. "I'm not waiting all night for these geezers to finish yapping!" He walked over to the Pai Sho table, followed by Yu. "It's over! You three fugitives are coming with me!"
The old man Quickly placed himself before Iroh and Zuko, preventing Xin Fu and Yu from reaching them. "I knew it! You three are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!"
"I thought you said he would help!" Zuko exclaimed.
Iroh placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder in reassurance. " He is. Just watch." Iroh smiled. Though, Aang was still a little uneasy.
"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?" The old man asked Xin Fu and Yu.
"Gold?!" A man in the bar exclaimed, getting the attention of everyone else. People began to stand with knives, swords, whatever they could use as weapons.
"Uh...Maybe we shouldn't." Yu pointed out.
Xin Fu grinned. As he moves toward Zuko, Aang and Iroh, two men jump in front of him to block his path. With a reverse roundhouse kick, the earthbender bent a rock from the ground and easily pushes them out of his way.
Yu readied himself for battle. He sinks the first person to charge him into the ground. Meanwhile, Xin Fu kicked two sandbenders away while lifting another one up in the air and holding a fourth one back with his other hand. After he kicked another sandbender away, he twists his waist, sending the two men he is holding flying. One of them crashed into the wall behind the bar.
When there is no one left to fight, Xin Fu and Yu realize that their prey has escaped during the chaos. Xin Fu growls in frustration and slams his two fists on the ground, erecting a giant pillar of earth under a downed sandbender, shooting him out of the window and against a palm tree.
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Appa continued to soar through the sky, the blazing sea of sand resting below. Sokka was still on Appa's head, though he now wore his water tribe tunic around his head. Professor Zei and resigned to studying his map. Toph was just lean her crossed arms over the edge of the saddle. Katara, well, she has been the same since they took off. Sitting in the back corner of the saddle just staring blankly out into the open expanse of sky. She was lost in thought. So many things were running through her head. Why am I here? What's the point of all this?! She groaned in frustration at her last thought, causing everyone on board to look at her. Either she didn't notice, or she ignored their curious looks. It was hard to tell for the others.
Toph decided to break the silence. "Does this place even exist?" Toph asked in frustration.
"Some say it doesn't." Zei replied nonchalantly.
Toph's eyes widened in surprise before she narrowed them again. "Shouldn't you have mentioned that before?" She collapsed backwards and let her feet now rest over the edge of the saddle. After a couple of moments, Toph re-took her former position of leaning on the edge of the saddle. she jumped up in excitement and pointed to the horizon. "There it is!" Everybody on Appa got up and moved over to look to where Toph is pointing, except for Katara, who stayed in her corner and simply looked in Toph's direction. All anyone can see is sand dunes. Sokka and Zei gave her a glare of annoyance while Katara just dismissed the whole event and looks back out over her side of the saddle. "That's what it will sound like when one of you spots it." Toph stated, waving her hand in front of her eyes with a blank grin.
Sokka turned back to the front edge of the saddle and grabbed his telescope, peering through it for a couple of moments. "Wait! Down there! What's that?" Sokka jumped up and pointed at what seemed to be a giant tower. Everybody moved to the edge of the saddle to follow his pointing finger, including Katara.
Katara scoffed, "That can't be it. The building on the illustration is huge." Sokka was surprised by her pessimism. Usually, she was the optimist.
Sokka then drew his attention to something walking towards the tower. "What kind of animal is that?"
Everyone watched as the fox ran up the tower, scroll in mouth, and through a window at the top. "I think that was one of the Knowledge Seekers. Oh, we must be close to the library!" Zei yelled excitedly. His life's ambition was at his fingertips.
"No, this is the library...look!" Sokka exclaimed, pointing at the illustration where the top spire appeared. It looked exactly like the pillar in the sand. "It's completely buried."
"The library is buried?!" Zei exclaimed, extremely worried. Appa landed next to the large spire as the professor hopped out early in a mad dash to somehow save his lifelong dream. "My life's ambition is now full of sand." He collapsed on the ground, but a huge smile pulled at his lips. He pulled out a shovel as he sat back up. "Well, time to start excavating." He began to dig in a mad frenzy as Toph walked up to the pillar and placed her hand against it.
"Actually, that won't be necessary. The inside seems to be completely intact. And it's huge." Toph stated after pulling her hand away from the stone pillar.
"That fox thingy went in through a window. I say we climb up there and give it a look." Sokka stated.
"I say you guys go ahead without me." Toph muttered.
Katara finally spoke as she leaned against Appa's side. "You got something against libraries?"
"I've held books before. And I gotta tell you, they don't exactly do it for me."
"Oh, right. Sorry." Replied Katara, sheepishly.
"Let me know if they have something you can listen to."
Sokka, Katara and Zei prepared to go inside. Sokka had to remind Momo that he couldn't come. Zei prepared his own, specialized kit while Sokka sheathed his trusty boomerang and his club. Katara, however, was being extra cautious. Ever since her battle with Azula, Katara had made sure she had the upper hand; that meant carrying extra water skins. As Zei and Sokka waited at the base of the tower, Katara was strapping on four water skins, readying for anything. After she was ready, the three adventurers began to climb up the tower.
Toph crossed her arms, ready for a long wait. She turned in Appa's general direction. "What's up?"
She was met with a large groan before Appa plopped himself down for a rest.
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"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets." The man muttered as they approached the secret door of the flower shop.
"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is someone in this club going to offer some real help ?" Zuko snarled. Aang placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder in order to calm him down and gave him a look that said, 'Calm down.'
Iroh gave a quick glare to Zuko and a thankful smile to Aang. He turned back to the older man. "You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts."
The old man continued to the door and knocked. He was greeted by a mysterious man. "Who knocks at the guarded gate ?"
"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh replied.
Iroh smiled as the door opened to let him and the their guide through. When Zuko and Aang attempted to follow them, the door slams shut in front of him. They looked at the door with a pout when Iroh opened the small window. "I'm afraid it's members only. Even the Avatar. Wait out here."
An annoyed Zuko frowns and crosses his arms as he rests against a nearby table. He leans over to sniff the plant on the table as Aang looks at something on the ceiling. After hours of waiting, Zuko and Aang eventually fell asleep next to each other, leaning against one another. They were both startled awake by a creaking door, not even giving a second thought to the position they were just in as they stood up. Iroh, along with the Pai Sho player, walked through the door.
"What's going on? Is the club meeting over ?" Zuko asked, wanting to go.
"Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Ba Sing Se." Iroh replied with a smile and a nod.
"So, we're actually going to get there safely?" Aang asked, joyously.
Iroh and the man bowed to each other in respect. "Yes, we are, Aang. But, my friend would like to speak to you first."
Aang looked to the other member of the white lotus and gave him a bow. After he came up from his bow, Aang had a confused look on his face. "What would you like to speak to me about?"
"I overheard a group of three young travelers this morning talking to a professor of Ba Sing Se, claiming to be your friends." He spoke calmly.
Aang's eyes widened in shock. He quickly walked up to the man and loosely grabbed his clothing, almost as if he were clinging on like a helpless child. "You saw Katara?! You saw Sokka and Toph?!"
The man looked at the boy in shock at his sudden behavior. "If you are speaking of two water tribe children and a blind girl, than I believe that's them."
Aang let go of the man's shirt. "Where did they go?!" He asked in a mad frenzy, wanting answers as fast as he could.
The man sighed, "They went into the desert, but-"
"I'm going after them!" Aang stated firmly and with a fire of determination in his eyes. He began to walk quickly towards the door before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned back to see Iroh giving him a sad smile.
"I know how much you miss them, Aang. But, please don't be foolish. It is dangerous out there, and with no supplies, it is all but impossible."
"But...but, they're so close. I can reach them! I can-"
"No Aang. I do not wish to lose another member of my family." Aang's expression softened at the word 'family.' Did he just call me family. Aang didn't realize he meant that much to the old Fire Nation general.
Aang looked down at his feet, saddened. "I...I just miss them so much. And they're so close!" He groaned in frustration.
"I know, Aang. But remember, they are headed to Ba Sing Se, and so are we. You will see them again." Iroh replied with a warm smile as Aang looked back up at him.
Aang felt another hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Zuko smiling at him. "You'll see them again." Zuko added in his own, simple way.
Aang smiled, "Thank you." He whispered. At that moment, another member of the white lotus walked into the flower shop.
"I have the passports for our guests, but there are two men out on the street looking for them." Aang, Zuko and Iroh shared a look of worry.
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Katara, Zei and Sokka continued to climb down a long rope into the library. Once on solid ground again, they all looked around in amazement. They knew Toph said it was huge, but they never could have imagined. The halls seemed to go on forever as it also seemed that there was an infinite number of floors.
"Oh, it's breathtaking!" Zei exlaimed. "The spirit spared no expense in designing this place." He pointed off in the distance. "Look at those beautiful buttresses! Sokka giggled at the comment. "What's funny?"
"Nothing, I just like architecture." Sokka replied sheepishly.
"As do I." Zei replied with a sigh.
Katara shot him an annoyed glare, "You are so immature."
"My word!" Zei Examined an owl mosaic above two pillars." The exquisite mosaic handiwork of this tile-rendered avian symbol…" Sokka and Katara looked at Zei quizzically. "Eh, nice owl."
Suddenly, they could hear rustling noises. Sokka and Katara ran behind a pillar while Zei hid behind another. Wan Shi Tong, an owl spirit, walked over the bridge and examined the rope. Sokka craned his head around the pillar.
The owl turned his head "I know you're back there." Sokka gasped and hid again.
Zei smiled and walked from behind the pillar and up to Wan Shi Tong. "Hello, I'm Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University."
"You should leave the way you came." Wan Shi Tong looked to the side towards stuffed animal heads on pillars. "Unless you want to become a stuffed head of anthropology."
"Are you the spirit who brought this library to the physical world?" Sokka asked.
"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?" Katara asked, slightly peeved.
"Hm! Humans only bother learning things to get the edge on other humans. Like that firebender who came to this place a few years ago, looking to destroy his enemy. So…" Wan Shi Tong Leaned towards a sweating Sokka. "...who are you trying to destroy?"
Sokka could see his own reflection in the owl's eyes. "What? No-no-no-no destroying." Sokka stuttered. "We're not into that."
"Then why have you come here?"
"Um ... knowledge for knowledge's sake?" Sokka replied with a sheepish grin.
"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, We're friends with the Avatar, but we go seperated and we are trying to find anything to help us find him." Sokka indeed lied, but rather convincingly. They were trying to find Aang, but not through the library's information.
"Hmm, very well. I'll let you peruse my vast collection…" Wan Shi Tong replied with a now hopeful Sokka, Katara and Zei. "...on one condition." All of their hope vanished in an instant. "To prove your worth as scholars, you have to contribute some worthwhile knowledge." He finished.
Professor Zei walked forward with a book in his hands. He kneeled down and raised the book above his lowered head. "Please accept this tome as a donation to your library."
"First edition, very nice." Wan Shi Tong grabbed the book with his wing.
Katara walked forward with a scroll in her hands. "I have an authentic waterbending scroll."
The owl looked at it. "Ooh, these illustrations are quite stylish."
Sokka walked forward. "Oh, great spirit, check this out.: He then began to tie a string into a butterfly knot and showed it to Wan Shi Tong. "Ta-da!" Katara, and Zei looked at Sokka with uncertainty. Wan Shi Tong just looked at him in silence. "It's a special knot. That counts as knowledge!"
"You're not very bright, are you?" Sokka grunted as Wan Shi Tong took the knot."Enjoy the library." He continued to Jumps off the bridge and flew down to lower levels of the library. Everybody began to walk towards the main halls of the hallway. Sokka narrowed his eyes.
"Bright enough to fool you." Muttered Sokka.
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A man exited the door of the flower shop, pulling three big flowerpots on a wooden wagon. After he leaves, Xin Fu and Yu walked towards the door. Xin Fu slammed the door open with such ferocity that an overhanging plant came crashing down. He shoved the wanted posters under the nose of the florist. "Hey you, where are these men ? I got a tip that they're in your shop."
As you can see, no one is here but us." The florist replied calmly.
"We know all about your secret back room." He motioned to xin Fu, "Kick it down."
Xin Fu charged the door like a mad bull and knocked it down along with the surrounding wall, with one mighty kick.
"Hey! That room is for flowers only!" The florist exclaimed.
"Some unlucky soul has an incomplete Pai Sho set." Yu whispers with a hint of sorrow.
Yu picked up a lotus tile that was laying in the center of the room and shows it to Xin Fu, who angrily knocked it out of his hands. "Let's go back to finding the girl."
Meanwhile,
The man continued pulling the wooden wagon with the large pots over some dunes. Zuko's, Iroh's and Aang's head emerged from underneath the flowers simultaneously. They briefly peek around before sinking back into their pots.
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"So...you like...flying? Toph asked Appa. Appa purred deeply and scratched 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." She pauses and picked up a handful of sand and let it fall. "But this sand is so loose and shifty, it makes everything look fuzzy." Appa made a rumbling groan. "Not that there's anything wrong with fuzzy." Appa grunted.
Meanwhile, in the library,
They were in a large room full of books as one of the many Knowledge Seekers placed a scroll gently on a shelf. While Zei took books off of the bookshelves and added them to his stack, Sokka took a scroll from a shelf, reads it, and puts it in his 'man bag.' Sokka then walked up a podium. A large, glass frame covered a parchment.
"The darkest day in Fire Nation history." Sokka muttered under his breath as he read the characters. "It's got a date at the top, but it doesn't say anything else." He looked around, making sure no one is watching, before he pried open the frame with his sword and taking the parchment. He began to move down the hall.
Katara and Zei rounded the corner to see Sokka running down the hall. "Sokka where are you going?" Katara asked with an exasperated sigh.
"I want to know what happened to the Fire Nation on their darkest day. This could be promising." The sound of his voice getting weaker as he disappeared down the dark hallway. Katara,and Zei followed him; Katara with much reluctance. All she wanted to do was get to Ba Sing Se, but NO. They were stuck in this library, looking for something that didn't get them any closer to their current goal. "The information on the Fire Nation should be right up here."
As Zei and Katara caught up, they saw nothing but a room filled with ash. "Firebenders." Katara muttered, fists clenching as a sudden anger came over her. They took mom. They took dad. They took Aang! "They take away everything!" She yelled and walked away, stomping her feet so hard that Toph could probably feel her.
Sokka watched as his sister walked away. He was saddened. She has been so off. Every day was different. But now, she was acting so distant, and then she just had a sudden outburst of emotion. He sighed and let her go. Zei noticed how solemn Sokka looked after what had happened, and he assumed the moods around him were resultant from being separated with their friend."I just...need to know what happened on the darkest day." Sokka sighed. Suddenly, he heard whimpering and looked at the entrance to one of the Knowledge Seekers standing on its hind legs. "Hello, little weird fox guy." Sokka greeted nervously. The Knowledge Seeker got on all fours and pointed outside the room with his snout. Professor Zei took notice to the behavior, "Seems it's trying to assist you."
Sokka looked from Zei to back at the fox, "Um, sure, I guess I'll follow you."
They followed the Knowledge Seeker down the hall. They passed Katara, who was leaning agains a pillar with her arms cross in frustration, but with a thoughtful expression written on her face. As they passed her, Sokka signaled her to follow, which surprisingly enough to him, she did. They continued down the hall to a large round door with a texture lining the bottom sides of the wall. The Knowledge Seeker entered a small door in the texture. The large door opened showing the Knowledge Seeker standing behind it. Sokka, Katara and Zei walked toward the center of the room. The Knowledge Seeker pushed a lever beside the calendar wheel and the domed ceiling changed from day to night.
"This room is a true marvel, a mechanical wonder. It's a planetarium that shows the heavens moving." Zei whispered in amazement as night turned back to day.
"Uh, this is beautiful, but how is it helpful?" Sokka asked. Katara stood idly by, watching her brother intently, wanting him to hurry up.
"Um...maybe these dials represent dates and times." Katara stated as if pointing out the obvious. "Sokka, just try entering that date from that parchment you took."
Sokka mocked a whisper, "Shh, Katara, not in front of the fox, he's with the owl." He stated, trying to lighten the mood for her.
Katara knitted her eyebrows in exasperation, "Really?"
The Knowledge Seeker whimpered. Sokka glanced at the parchment and changed four of the calendar wheels. He pushes the lever and the domed ceiling changes from day to night. "This is the coolest library...ever." He gasped as the sun and moon moved around above him.
"What happened to the sun?" Zei asked, a little confused.
"Great, you must have broken it." Katara snarled, throwing her hands above her head in exasperation. "Now you're really gonna make 'an all seeing spirit' pissed off." She finished, rocking her head side-to-side, mocking Sokka for his stupidity.
It's not broken!" Sokka yelled. he pointed to show the sun piece of the planetarium covered by the moon. "The sun is behind the moon. It's a solar eclipse!" He completely forgot about Katara's attitude and hopped with glee. "It's literally the darkest day in Fire Nation history. Firebenders lose their bending during a solar eclipse." He finished by shooting his fist into the air in triumph.
The Knowledge Seeker got on its hind legs and begged. "Fine, you earned it." He tossed the fox a snack from his bag. "We've gotta get this information to the Earth King at Ba Sing Se. We'll wait for the next eclipse, then we'll invade the Fire Nation when they're totally helpless. The Fire Lord is going down!" He yelled in excitement.
Katara was now holding in her fury. He didn't even think about Aang. She turned to walk out of the planetarium, but stopped when she saw Wan Shi Tong right there. Katara backed up.
Mortals are so predictable, and such terrible liars. Sokka gulped. "You betrayed my trust. From the beginning, you intended to misuse this knowledge for evil purposes."
"You don't understand. If anyone's evil, it's the Fire Nation. You saw what they did to your library. They're destructive and dangerous. We need this information." Sokka raised his hands in defense.
You think you're the first person to believe their war was justified? Countless others before you have come here seeking weapons or weakness or battle strategies.
We had no choice!" Katara yelled, now oddly feeling defensive of this whole adventure she didn't want anything to do with in the first place. "We're just desperate to protect the people we love!" All she was thinking about was her family. Her father. Gran-Gran. And Aang.
"And now I'm going to protect what I love." Wan Shi Tong began to fur flap his wings, causing the whole library to begin to shake and shudder.
"What are you doing?" Sokka asked.
"He's sinking the building. We've gotta get out of here." Katara exclaimed.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. You already know too much." The owl pecked at them but missed. Wan Shi Tong pursued them as they run out the planetarium.
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Appa snarled as the library began to sink below the surface and the ground started to shake. "I already told you, I don't wanna snuggle." Toph replied, exasperated. Appa stood up and hurried away from the library. Toph looked at the sinking library. "Library sinking." She ran to the library. "Library sinking!" She punches both fists into the library to stop it from sinking. Her feet slipped in the sand, so she paused to solidify it into stone. She jammed her hands back into the library struggling to stop it from sinking again.
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"We've gotta get back to the surface!" Katara yelled as Sokka ran towards her, rock and sand falling from above.
"But we still don't know when the next eclipse is gonna to happen." He reasoned.
Katara looked at him with an unbelieving face. "Don't be stupid! We'll find out later!"
Sokka sighed, but refused to give up. "No, we won't. If we leave this place, we'll never get the information. Katara, you come with me to the planetarium, I need cover. Professor, you need to get out of here!"
"No, Sokka. I'll distract him." She put her hand up in resolution.
"But-" He was cut off.
"Just go!" She yelled, resolve and determination boiling in her eyes.
Suddenly, Wan Shi Tong broke through a large shelf of books and began to pursue Katara and Zei."Hurry, Sokka!" Katara yelled as she ran off, Wan Shi Tong close behind. Sokka ran off to the planetarium to discover when the next eclipse would be.
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"Why does this thing have to be so heavy?! Toph moaned as she tried to get a better grip of the library by pulling her fists out and then smashing them back in. "They better hurry." She huffed.
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Sokka continued to fiddle with the controls of the planetarium, watching the sun and moon dials seeming to endlessly rotate around him. He had gotten close many times, but he was running out of his own time to get out. With one last try, he struck gold. "That's it! The solar eclipse! It's just a few months away." He took out a piece of paper and wrote down the date. He then stuffed the paper in his bag and hurried out of the planetarium. Katara continued running away from Wan Shi Tong. She stopped beside a bookshelf. Wan walks on the other side of the bookshelf and spots the end of one of her water skins. "At least I'll have one specimen to add to my collection."
Wan Shi Tong tries to grab her with his beak, but Katara runs away. She reaches the bridge, the rope was gone. She turned back to face Wan Shi Tong. "Your waterbending won't do you much good here. He raised his head and unfolded his wings to attack." I've studied Northern water style, Southern water style, even Foggy Swamp st-" He was cut-off by a boomerang that came out of nowhere, striking the giant bird in the skull, knocking him out and sending him tumbling over the edge of the bridge.
"That's called Sokka style." He looked to Katara, "Let's get out of here!" He paused and turned around. "Wait! Professor, let's go."
Professor Zei sat among a pile of books and held a scroll. The sand was building up and beginning to cover some of the stacks. Zei was reading a scroll. "I'm not leaving. I can't." He dropped the parchment he was holding to his lap and raised his right fist. "I've spent too long trying to find this place." He placed his hand on his chest and looked up. "There's not another collection of knowledge like this on earth." th He closed his eyes softly. He opened his eyes while smiling and spoke wistfully. I" could spend an eternity in here.
Katara and Sokka peered at him with sad expressions. He is such an amazing man with such strong will. Sokka spoke softly, "Let's go, Katara." With that, she began to use the water from her water pouches, freezing it in front of her and Sokka as they ran. She led the ice to follow the sides of the central tower all the way up. She continued her recycling effort, bending the ice behind them back into liquid form before freezing in front of them again. As they neared the top, Katara began to waver, nearly too exhausted to continue.
"You can do it, Katara!" Sokka encouraged, and with one final push, they reached the top window. They jumped out as the window was just about to sink below the surface. Toph let go of the tower, letting it plummet below the surface. They all sat in silence for a moment. Both Katara and Top laid in the sand, panting.
Sokka kneeled down by Katara and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok, sis?" She continued to pant, but she nodded. "And you, Toph?"
"Does it even need to be a question?" She replied dryly.
"Right, you're fine."
"Got that right, Snoozles." She walked to him and punched his arm.
He rubbed his arm where he would surely get a bruise. "Right, well, let's get out of this desert and set up camp." With that, he helped Katara up and then onto Appa. As Sokka announced for Appa to take flight, Katara instantly fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from everything she went through.
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It was late at night and the moon shone brightly over the camp. Sokka, Toph, Appa and Momo were all in deep sleep. But Katara, on the other hand, was not. She sat by the fire, pencil and paper in hand, writing a note. When she finished the note, she kneeled down to place it in Sokka's bag, which was near his head. She stood and walked over to her rolled up bed roll and travel bag. She slung her travel bag over her shoulder and held her bed roll under her armpit. As she Katara tiptoed out of camp, she slowly looked back at her sleeping friend. "I'm sorry. I have to do this." She whispered as she began to walk into the darkness of night.
A/N: Okay, so I probably should explain a few things. First: Yes, Appa did not get stolen. I did this for the sake of plot in this story. I wanted to make it happen, but I didn't see how I could make it work with the story moving forward. I also want to apologize for some choppiness in my writing, particularly when it came to incorporating Zei in, as well as having the library sequence without Aang.
Second: Toph's parents still have a storyline in this; the still want her back. Even though I started this rewritten book 2 with Toph, I want the Xin Fu and Yu stuff going on, because that's how Toph discover metalbending. I hope you liked the new scene transition method.
Again thanks for reading and as always, I love the reviews.
As you could probably tell by the end of this chapter, the next one will be Katara-centric. The next chapter is, Katara Alone.