Screech:

"We believe the spirits are massing for another attack. We need to make sure that we're ready for when they come for us."

"Why would they lock the portal if only to attack a few weeks later?" Jinora asked, perplexed. "It doesn't make sense. I agree with Lin; they're clearly trying to stop us getting back into the spirit world."

Asami scratched her head with one hand as she grimaced. "Why would they have such a force ready on their side if not to attack? I'm all for believing the best in people and by extension, spirits, although I think even Korra would be expecting an attack."

Jahn raised a hand. "With respect, I'm not Korra. The spirits are probably building a force on their side of the portal but if I open it now, they'll almost definitely come through. I don't think they're stopping us for their safety; I think they're hiding something. If I break through, some of the spirits are bound to flee and if they're reporting to someone, that'd be bad news for us."

"Hiding what?" Anik asked curiously. "This all seems very speculative to me…"

They were all sat in the briefing tent, facing Asami who stood with Lin at the front, pointing to a giant map of the area hanging from the ceiling by thick ropes. The President had brought them all here to discuss their plan of action, though Jahn clearly had other ideas.

"If the spirits are just there to keep you away," Lin said, nodding to Jahn, "then why is that wolf thing there? From what you've said, it seems to be their leader," she pointed out, totally ignoring Anik, who raised his hands hopelessly.

Jahn frowned. "Zhansha is their figurehead, not their leader. From what we can tell, it stirred up some of the spirits and led them to the portal when Ornatok reached it. I guess Zhansha is the living embodiment of the spirit's anger at the Spirit Eaters."

"Well that's understandable," Jinora commented. "They were being slaughtered; we wouldn't sit idly by if it was the other way around."

"You're not wearing the skin of a human though," Kazon said darkly, "or killing others for sport."

Jahn sighed. "Another good point. We shouldn't get too focused on just one spirit though. We don't know how many powerful spirits sympathise with them; Zhansha may be a target but killing it won't solve anything. We need to find the person responsible for causing all of this in the first place."

Asami raised an eyebrow, curious. "You know who this person is?"

Jahn froze. Tilia noticed his expression and quickly raised her head. "We do. We're currently looking for them," she said, nodding to her close friend. Asami's eyes narrowed but she didn't push Tilia for more information. Instead, she simply nodded. "Well if the spirits just want one person, they can have them. After we've questioned them of course."

"We still haven't answered the question at hand. What are the spirits guarding?" Lin asked quickly.

Mako stood up. "Chief, I believe we already know. I've had a lot of time to think about it over this last week and I think I've connected the dots."

"Just make sure you keep this down to a 20 year long explanation or I might be dead before you finish," Beifong replied dryly, rolling her eyes.

Mako turned round to face them all, looking slightly sheepish. "Chief Beifong and I investigated Future Industries Tower with Sho-tahn and a group of friends, just before Jahn came back through the portal. We went to the basement, where Asami had the remnants of Kuvira's spirit cannon."

Jinora gasped. "What? You kept that? Why?"

Asami frowned. "We were studying it, to see if it could be countered. If anyone else worked out how to build it, we wanted a way to stop anyone else from being hurt."

"By building another cannon?" Kai asked incredulously.

The President shook her head. "Varrick and I worked out that, because the cannon obviously expelled energy, we could reverse-engineer that technology and create a device that absorbed energy. If anyone fired the cannon, we'd have a shield so the cannon would be rendered harmless."

Beifong made a soft noise of understanding. "Ah. You asked me if we found anything else down there; you were on about the device."

Asami nodded. "I thought we could use it as a last resort. If the spirits attacked, the device would literally absorb their energies. They'd all be destroyed instantly."

Jahn stood up quickly, angry. "That would be genocide!" he said hotly. Tilia also jumped up, horror written all over her face.

The President sighed. "It wouldn't be genocide, Avatar," she said in a stern yet disheartened voice. She looked at Jahn directly, refusing to back down from his glare, yet he could tell she wasn't happy with this either. "If they attacked, we'd defeat enough of them to send the rest running. It's just self-defence."

"It's a terrible idea and you know it," Jahn snarled back. "All of you, you never stop to consider that just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should!" he argued, pointing a finger at Asami.

Beifong stepped forward. "Avatar, sit down," she ordered quickly. When he turned to look at her, she raised an eyebrow, clearly not caring what he thought. Jahn was about to turn on her until a thought flashed through his brain. Lin was like metal: she'd never break but she could be bent if the right kind of heat and pressure was applied.

"Fine," he said eventually, taking a seat. Tilia sat back down at his side, frowning at Asami as if seeing her in a different light. "Where is the thing now?" he asked Asami, still feeling irritated.

She shrugged in response. "Lin didn't find it down in my vaults. My guess is that it was destroyed in the attacks; it certainly wouldn't have survived the destruction of the tower."

"No kidding, we very nearly didn't either…" Mako muttered as he too sat down.

"We have a problem, however. Mako, you remember those little vermin creatures; you spoke with one in the vaults. What did it say?" Lin asked Mako. He jumped to his feet again after the few seconds of actual sitting.

"Knowledge seekers," Mako said.

"Ahh…" Jinora said. "Servants of Wan Shi Tong. If he had something to do with the cannon, it can't be good."

Kai frowned. "Didn't he work with Unalaq and help kidnap you?" he asked.

When Jinora nodded, Kazon tightened his fists. "My father told me about that. Unalaq became the Dark Avatar and tore my father's fleet to shreds."

Asami nodded. "If the owl spirit has the cannon, we can only imagine what he plans to do with it. That's why I need Jahn and Jinora to go to the spirit world and find out."

The tent flew into an uproar. The group all stood at once, protesting in loud voices. The only three to not actually stand, however, were Jahn, Jinora and Anik. They sat quietly, waiting as Beifong settled everyone down with an angry look.

"Please," Asami said, holding her hands up, "I realise that this sounds like a suicide mission-"

"Well, no offence Asami but you ARE going to be sending them to die," Tilia said incredulously.

"Tilia, come on," the President whispered to her close friend. "You know I wouldn't do that. Let me explain."

When the Metalbender nodded, Asami slumped in exhaustion. "Thank you. I meant, Jahn and Jinora are the only ones able to meditate in there. They won't be in any actual harm and they can snoop around inside the library without raising any alarms."

"I'll join them," Anik said, holding one hand up. When Asami looked surprised, he shrugged. "I can meditate into the spirit world or back. I just need quiet and some water. It's strangely spiritual."

"He did travel the spirit world for quite some time. You kind of pick these things up," Jahn said, nodding to his friend who grinned back.

"Fine. I'll arrange for a secure place you can meditate. In the meantime, I have something for the rest of you to do. I'll be busy with Prince Kazon and Firelord Iroh," she said, looking over at Kazon who remained stony-faced. "A-Team, find out what you can. B-Team, you're with Beifong. They're your team, after all," she said when Beifong looked disgruntled.

"Avatar Team and Beifong Team. I like it," Kuan said quietly beside Anik.

Firelord Iroh watched silently as the Phoenix Talons lifted the palindromes, the curtains drawn to prevent anyone looking upon their bodies. He'd lost soliders before and his own mother's passing had been difficult, yet nothing tore his heart in half quite like this. His wife would be inconsolable when he returned with their bodies. He still remembered the day Zukoh was born; a sunny Fire Nation morning, the silence broken by the cries of a newborn baby. Even Akirai had smiled when she'd seen him. Then again, she'd still had both eyes at that point.

He sniffed loudly. It was as emotional as he dared look in front of his troops; despite being Firelord, being a General was in his blood. He'd be tough until he reached his wife. He didn't even want Kazon to see him breakdown, though in truth, he wanted nothing more. His son and sister were dead and the war was starting to take its toll on the Fire Nation at last. They still fared better than basically everywhere else, though Iroh never quite felt ready to take the throne. He was better on the front lines, helping fight the good fight.

"Father," he heard Kazon say behind him. As he turned, his son approached slowly, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped.

"Kazon. Stand up straight," Iroh found himself saying. "Slouching is bad for your posture."

"Don't you think we've got other things to worry about?" his son replied, making Iroh look at him surprise.

He had a point. "You're right. I'm sorry. Are you going to return home with me? You should be there for the funeral."

Kazon nodded. "My friends want me to help them with stopping the war and I will. I already told them that I'd go home first. How are we getting there? By ship?"

Iroh shook his head. "Asami was kind enough to lend us one of the few intact airships she still has here. We came on a small vessel to avoid spiritual attention but if they're all currently locked away on the other side of the portal, we may as well travel quickly and in relative comfort. Akirai and Zukoh deserve a hero's welcome. Both of them."

Kazon nodded as the Phoenix Talons lifted the palindromes, carrying them away to the Eastern edge of the city. The remaining four airships were tethered here, far away from the portal and closest to Taku, where supplies were trickling down from the mountain town.

"I hear you told the Avatar and the others about Akemi," Iroh said at last in a quiet voice.

"I…yes. I trust them all and if anyone can help us find her, it'll be them," Kazon said sadly. "I know we weren't going to tell anyone but it's been three years Dad. Three years. She must be five by now. I've missed so much…"

Iroh placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I know. We'll find her, I promise. Akirai and Zukoh both knew how important she was to you and they did all they could to try find her. That was the main reason Zukoh joined the White Lotus," Iroh said.

Kazon's eyes went wide. "He…what?"

Iroh nodded, his eyes closed. "Zukoh joined as he felt they could become a vast intelligence network; if anyone came across Akemi, he'd know about it. In time, he came to understand their motives and became proud of his work, although he never stopped looking for her. When he came across the Avatar, he kept him underground for fear of the same fate befalling him."

"What fate?"

"That woman he married. Kairna. Zukoh believed she had something to do with Akemi's disappearance. It made leaving her for the White Lotus far easier, if I recall correctly," his father replied.

Kazon stood, stunned. "He thought the same…" he whispered. When his father looked sideways at him, Kazon looked slightly awkward. "I never liked her, let's face it."

"You hated the woman," Iroh stated with a slight smile.

Kazon shrugged. "She was easy to hate."

"If we're being honest, I was pleased when they separated. Look how she turned out," Iroh said dryly.

Kazon smiled for a second before it vanished from his face. "I always thought she was behind it but I could never pin it on her. Who else could sneak into the palace and kidnap a young girl except someone inside the palace?"

"So the Red Lotus would be to blame, if that were the case. There are still remnants of their organisation around the world. It would not be impossible for Akemi to be their hostage," Iroh said.

They stood in silence for a while, father and son, watching the world go by. After a few minutes, Kazon raised his head. "I'll come home for the funeral. Once it's over, I'll have to return here to assist Jahn. If he can find Akemi once this war is over, I intend to end it as soon as possible. And if I get revenge for Zukoh and Akirai…well, even better."

Iroh nodded. "I'd expect nothing less of my son," he said proudly. "We leave in an hour. Go tell the Avatar and wish him well on his spiritual endeavour. I hope it goes far better than our own," the Firelord said, following the palindromes until he too was out of sight.

The sounds of Earthbending outside distracted Jahn like a fly buzzing around his head. Two years ago, he'd have been excited to duel the Earthbender and prove his worth as a bender, as he once had done against Saall in Nilob's training ring. Now, it was a considerable hindrance to his spiritual concentration.

"Jeez, I sound ridiculous," he muttered as he opened his eyes and stood up. Stupid thoughts aside, he needed silence for this, as did the others. He poked his head outside the tent, frowning. "Oi! Go Earthbend elsewhere! We're trying to help save the world here," he said, irritated. The kids all looked at him in total panic, quickly turning tail and running away.

He sat back down, assuming the lotus position as he focused on his breathing. It was only a few minutes before he squeezed one eye open slightly. "Psst..you there yet?"

Jinora sighed slowly. "No, Jahn," she said in a quiet exasperated voice. "You need to leave your physical body behind. Let go and be wind."

Jahn stuck his tongue out at her, glad she hadn't seen. He closed his eyes, focusing on doing just that. It wasn't easy for him; he'd become a proficient Airbender and his spiritual powers were impressive, yet leaving behind Jahn and becoming the Avatar was proving difficult.

Just as he was about to open his mouth again, he felt a surge of energy flow through him. In his mind, he heard Korra's voice flowing over him like water: "Let me guide you."

Jahn felt a curious sensation, as though he was flying over miles, yet he knew he was still sat in the tent. The movement stopped so he opened his eyes, smiling as he recognised the dusty shelves of Wan Shi Tong's library.

Jinora and Anik both stood nearby, watching him. "You took your time. Call yourself the Avatar…" Anik said with a grin.

"Yeah well….shut up," Jahn replied with a quiet chuckle, unable to think of a decent comeback. "This is it, isn't it? I can sense a memory of this place."

"That must be from Grandpa Aang. He was here in the material world once. The last time I was here, Unalaq took me hostage," Jinora said darkly, looking around suspiciously. "Keep an eye out for Wan Shi Tong. He hates humans."

"Pfft, what spirit doesn't hate humans these days?" Anik muttered lowly.

"What do we do if it finds us?" Jahn asked, looking to Jinora.

She considered his question with some thought. "I guess we run. We need a few seconds of peace to go back to our bodies; it's basically the same principle as how we got here. Just try to hide and get back."

"I love our plans. Such finesse…" Anik said sarcastically. "Split up? Looking for a giant cannon can't be too hard."

"Good idea. If you have any issues, do as Jinora said. Stay safe, both of you," Jahn said, smiling.

"Hey, we'll be fine. We're the dream team, remember. It was us three against Vehrin; some stupid owl won't stand a chance," Anik replied confidentally. As Jinora laughed lightly, they turned and made off in separate directions.

Jahn wandered through the library, awed by its size. He'd always quietly enjoyed reading, though he had little time for it now. In the spirit world, there had been little civility, though surrounded by tomes of such grandeur and vast numbers made him feel considerably less scared.

He found himself wandering down corridors which led to hidden portions of the library. Hidden instruments lay covered in cobwebs, unused for centuries. The entire building was like one giant collection. When he turned one corner, he glimpsed a bushy tail vanishing round a corner further ahead. Knowledge seekers could raise the alarm. It was best to avoid them.

Jahn sighed as he found himself at a dead end. The room was domed; curious pictures of the sun and moon were on mechanical sliders on the walls and the only thing in there was a strange pedestal in the middle. Jahn shrugged, turning back the way he came. Nothing he'd seen suggested any kind of weapon building.

"Where would they keep a giant spirit cannon?" he asked himself quietly as he walked. As soon as he said it, Jahn realised his mistake. There was no way they'd have assembled it here; they'd never get it out of the building. Mako and Beifong had stated the knowledge seekers had been taking the odd piece of the cannon, bit by bit, but they'd been more interested in something else. If the spirits couldn't physically bring the whole cannon here, they must have stolen a few key pieces and more importantly, located the blueprints to building it. Asami would have studied the weapon and kept the blueprints down in her vaults. It was a few pieces of paper he needed to be looking for, he realised, dismayed as he looked around at the millions of books surrounding him.

A noise distracted him; he span round, arms raised against the threat. A small fox sat a few feet away, looking up at him with a curious look.

"How does everyone keep sneaking up on me?" Jahn asked, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. "Hey little guy. Could you do me a favour and not tell your boss we're here? We're just looking at the books," he asked with a smile.

The knowledge seeker padded over to the nearest shelf, took a small book in its mouth and deposited it at Jahn's feet. It then moved back and sat back in its original position. When Jahn reached down and picked it up, he smiled. "I don't really think this is what we have in mind but thanks anyway."

The fox stood up and started to walk away slowly, clearly not startled by his presence. When he glanced down at the book, he noticed the intricate font on the worn cover read Raising the Alarm, a novel by TomTom.

He looked back up quickly, just in time to see the fox dart right in between two book shelves at a full sprint. Jahn dropped the book quickly, sprinting after it. "Spirits damn it," he cursed, annoyed at himself for falling for the ruse.

The knowledge seeker was just ahead, running swiftly, left and right. Keeping up was almost impossible, though he wasn't prepared to let it warn anybody. When it ran left, he kept running straight, knowing it'd eventually run back into his path. Sure enough, it emerged just ahead, seemingly slower than before. Jahn leapt forward, grabbing the animal and rolling with it, holding tight as it struggled.

"Gotcha!" he said triumphantly, gasping for air but proud. He hugged the knowledge seeker tightly, unsure of what to actually do next. Something dark moved in front of him, so he looked up slowly as the towering form of Wan Shi Tong stood over him.

"Ah…" he whispered, releasing the spirit. It slunk out of his arms slowly, ears and tail low as it shuffled past its master.

"Human," Wan Shi Tong said in his formal voice. It wasn't just formal, however; it was laden with anger, aimed at the intruders in his library. "You are trespassing," it hissed.

"Yes…" Jahn said awkwardly. "Yes we are. Um…so we're here looking for a cannon?" he mentioned sheepishly. He was acutely aware that Wan Shi Tong was many, many times his size; the owl spirit's neck was craned right over to look down on him.

"I recognise your energy. The Avatar. Will you never leave my library alone?" the owl spirit asked, annoyed.

"Apparently not," Jahn said, standing up slowly. "I'm not here to fight or steal or anything. I come seeking knowledge."

Wan Shi Tong stepped past him quickly, looking round until his head was looking completely backwards. "Yes, many humans come here seeking knowledge. Taking knowledge that you have not earned nor deserve is stealing, however. Leave this place, Avatar, or suffer."

Jahn frowned. "You once helped Unalaq, the Water Tribe Chief, many years ago. Because of that, Korra nearly died. More than once," he said in a heated voice.

Wan Shi Tong's head swivelled back around and he began to inspect the higher shelves nearby, seemingly disinterested in Jahn's point. "So?" it asked.

"You owe me. The Dark Avatar nearly took over our world because you betrayed Jinora," Jahn replied.

"I owe no human anything. You are savage creatures, fit only to clean my books," the owl said, still not looking at him.

Jahn rolled his eyes despite himself. "So why is it that you've helped another human in this war? Hm? If you didn't owe him, what possible reason could you have for supplying the cannon to a human?"

Wan Shi Tong looked at him quickly, finally giving him its full attention. "How do you know?" he asked. It didn't wait for a response; instead, the owl leaned it close, almost flat to the floor. "You cannot threaten me, Avatar. My reasons are my own."

Jahn shrugged. "If you don't, I'll burn this place to the ground. All your precious books will be dust."

The owl laughed lowly, beak flashing in the low light. "You cannot bend here in the Spirit World. Every spirit knows that. Humans are powerless unless you came through the portal. Finding this place without meditation would be impossible to any but spirits, however. You have meditated in. You are powerless, Avatar. Now as I said, leave my library."

Jahn smiled slightly. "You're right. Normal bending won't work here. I've learnt something from my time here, however. The sheer amount of spiritual energy around allows me to do something a little like this," he said, holding his hands close together and concentrating hard. He willed the energies to collect, to coalesce as his eyes glowed brightly. In his hands, a small green flash shone brilliantly for a split second before he willed the energy into an open flame, which danced above his palm, lighting the area in an eerie green light.

"Tell me or the library burns!" he yelled at Wan Shi Tong, who screeched in alarm and spread its wings wide, knocking numerous books off the shelves. "Who came here!?"

The owl spirit flapped wildly, trying to extinguish the flames, though they were made from pure spiritual energy. They would not be snuffed out unless Jahn willed it. He held it near the closest shelf to demonstrate his point. When Wan Shi Tong realised his futility, he screeched loudly at Jahn in anger. He folded his wings in, covering his body in a cloak of feathers once more. "A human who seeks to aid me in a way I never thought possible."

"A name!" Jahn demanded.

"I did not ask. He came promising to end the human interference in the spirit world and told me exactly how he would accomplish it," the owl spirit said. "When he asked my assistance, I accepted only for the purpose of achieving that goal. Humans must stop coming here and he can make that a reality."

Jahn lowered the flame slightly but did not extinguish it. "He lied to you. Nobody can stop us coming here, just like we can't stop spirits coming to our world. Even if the portals were closed, we can still meditate through like this."

"Of course you can, Avatar. You are part spirit, as your proficiency at Energybending indicates," Wan Shi Tong said, nodding to the flame whilst watching it closely. "I recall reading about that particular ability in one of my favourite novels. A great read, it really does capture the essence of-"

"I'm not alone though. Jinora and Anik are here," Jahn said, interrupting the spirit's rambling. "Our two worlds are linked forever."

"Not if that human has his way. He has the blueprints for the cannon, it is true. My knowledge seekers ransacked your human vault, taking the treasures within," Wan Shi Tong said, edging slightly closer with every word. "I gave him the components he asked for and the means to make another. Whatever terrors he enacts on you all are well deserved," the spirit said smugly.

"Why the cannon though?" Jahn asked, perplexed. "Where has he taken it?"

Wan Shi Tong seemed to shrug, the giant shoulders rising slightly. "I know not. As long as he stays true to his word and prevents humans coming here ever again, I care not. Now, Avatar, I have told you all I know. You must give me something in return."

"What?"

"Knowledge. The human; you have more than a professional interest, I can see. Who is he to you?" Wan Shi Tong asked, eyes glittering.

Jahn sighed. "My father."

The owl spirit seemed pleased by this revelation. Before Jahn could even say another word, it lunged forward with an elongated neck, snapping at his legs. Jahn dived out of the way, the flame vanishing from his hand as he hit the floor. Wan Shi Tong scurried towards him quickly, forcing him to clamber to his feet and run. This was exactly what Jinora had warned against. Behind, the giant owl spirit crashed through the library with wings unfolded and neck extended, determined to catch its prey.

Ahead, he spotted Anik perusing a shelf closely. He looked around as he heard the commotion; he smiled at first, seeing Jahn, although a look of panic replaced it quickly as he spotted the owl spirit. He turned and ran, Jahn catching him in the first few seconds. "Hey!" he shouted breathlessly.

"Hey!" Anik shouted back, panting as they sprinted as hard as they could.

"Where….Jinora!?" Jahn yelled in between gasps as they turned a corner quickly. Wan Shi Tong slid sideways, past the turning, though it quickly forced its way back between the shelves in its pursuit of them.

"Dunno!" was Anik's articulate response.

They didn't have to run far before they spotted her running towards them down another corridor. They flapped their hands, indicating her to run. Instead, she shook her head and pointed at the ground. Her meaning was clear: no more running.

Jahn threw his head back in exasperation as he felt his lungs tighten. He skidded to a halt near her as Anik also stopped, almost tripping over his feet. They'd manage to get a small lead on the owl spirit, as he burst towards them.

"Wan Shi Tong, I warned you!" Jahn shouted to it, holding his arms above his head. He felt the Avatar State surge through his arms and into his hands; the green flames spluttered into life and flew everywhere, splattering the shelves with liquid fire. It quickly took, engulfing the nearest books in a small inferno which grew quickly.

Wan Shi Tong screeched in horror and also skidded to a stop, flapping his wings in an attempt to stop the flames from spreading. Jinora likewise pulled at Jahn's arm in shock. "Jahn! You can't do this!"

"To get us out, yes I can," he said angrily, the glow in his eyes fading. "Come on, we got what we came for," he said, pulling Jinora and Anik along. They ran to the end of the shelves and quickly ran down a tunnel carved from stone. Midway down, Jahn stopped and sat down quickly. "I'm sorry, Jinora. It was kind of an accident," he said to the Airbender honestly. "He gave us no choice."

"You've potentially just burned down the biggest library in existence," Jinora said, shaking her head as she sat down.

Anik plopped down by their side. "You know our Jahn. He loves the big showy stuff!" he said, closing his eyes quickly.

Getting back to their bodies was far easier than getting there. Jahn felt the same strange movement and opened his eyes, relieved to be back in the tent. It appeared as though focus was more important than peace; after the heart-pounding chase through the library, Jahn had never been more focused on anything as he had been on returning here.

He didn't wait for Jinora and Anik to come to, however. He knew they'd be fine. Instead, he climbed to his feet somewhat unsteadily and exited the tent into the dark. Night-time already.

"Avatar! Are you ok? You've been in there for hours! Should I alert the President?" their guard asked hurridly, pushing his helmet further up his head in an attempt to stop it sliding down his face.

Jahn shook his head. "No. I'll find her; I've had enough of alarm-raising for now, thanks."