disclaimer: Mike and Bryan own the ATLA universe; Mariko belongs to me (: enjoy!
Planetariums and Owlish Librarians
"Oh splendid! I only wish I spoke his tongue… the stories this beast could tell."
Mariko shot a look at the exhilarated Professor Zei between finishing up her makeshift visor-hat, tightening the binding holding the cloak hood to cover the back of her head and neck, muttering to the earthbender next to her, "Makes you wonder if he ever got out much."
"Pssh, doubt it; wouldn't be surprised if he tried to measure Appa's brain capacity." Toph snorted.
Seeing as Aang had already picked a mini-vacation (which ended shortly because Sokka had needed to find his intelligence) and he'd given the opportunity for another mini-vacation to Katara, they'd ended up in the middle of the desert at a so-called pristine oasis that turned out to be nothing more than a dusty seedy town with an oasis that was actually a melting chip of an iceberg (in her opinion).
Though judging by how the group of sandbenders had been eyeing Appa while they'd stepped away (and therein met Professor Zei in the process of trying to cool off), Mariko was at least glad they weren't back at the dustbowl.
She had a bad feeling about the sandbenders but of course her curiosity towards this illusive Wan Shi Tong's Library outweighed the suspicion.
Hours passed at a painstakingly slow time interval and she was just dozing into a nap when Toph snapped into action and cried, "There it is!" Mariko's eyes flew open and she blinked when seeing everyone looking in the direction the earthbender had pointed; she blinked again before noticing the flawed logic in her words and felt a vein twitch on her temple, exhaling as everyone sent a glare or scowl at the girl as she added flippantly, "That's what it'll sound like when one of you spots it." She grinned cheekily and waved a hand infront of her obviously-blind eyes.
Mariko rolled her eyes and started to resettle into her nap before a familiar pair of gold eyes narrowed in a pained expression flashed in her mind; she shifted so she was leaning against the farthest corner of the saddle, scowling at the sandy dunes that stretched for miles upon miles. He'll be fine, he's a big boy; hasn't needed me for the past three years, so why should I worry when he's got Uncle Iroh with him? She tried to calm her rising concern for her friend, closing her eyes.
Maybe he has needed you all this time and just hasn't said it, the little nagging voice in the back of her mind picked.
"Down there!" Sokka's voice jerked her out of her thoughts and vain attempt to nap, and she had half a right mind to whack him for interrupting her, "What's that?"
Disgruntled, the firebender took the spyglass from his hands and looked at where he was pointing, seeing nothing more than a half-buried tower with a domed top and a thin spire topping off the submerged high point. "Hm.. Aang, I think he might be on to something." Mariko agreed.
"Forget it," Katara lamented, disappointed, once they'd landed, the blueprint sketch in her hands as she compared the small tower to the drawing, "It's obviously not what we're looking for; this building's enormous."
Mariko made to open her mouth and counter before seeing movement in the distance; she looked in that direction and blinked once before noticing the figure had taken the form of a four-legged creature that seemed to be carrying a cylindrical object in its jaws. At seeing the creature coming closer, she realized that it was a gray fox. "Take note, you lot." She said as the other five travelers also took note of the fox that now trotted up the side of the tower into an opened window carved into the domed top.
"I think that was one of the knowledge-seekers!" Professor Zei said in complete wonder, excited eyes gleaming, "Oh we must be close to the library!"
Taking the sketch from the waterbender's hands, Mariko examined the tallest point of the library and then looked at the submerged tower again, a slow smile forming. "Funny you should mention."
Sokka joined her in looking at the sketch and added, "Mari's right, this is the library." He gestured from the spire in the sketch to the actual tower before them, slightly amazed and crestfallen at the same time as he said, "It's completely buried."
"The library is buried!" Professor Zei cried in horror and reiterating what Sokka pointed out, rushing towards the tower to drop to his knees in despair, adding, "My life's ambition is now full of sand!"
Mariko followed him at a calmer pace, examining the tower again and tilting her head to one side before a light came on and she looked at her friends, "Actually, where there's a will, there's a way." At receiving three odd looks from the siblings and airbender, she smiled impishly. "Even though we can't really bend gravity like that fox did, if we use rope, we can see if the library is completely submerged or not."
Toph stepped forward to sidle to her side and place a palm against the sandy outer wall of the tower, nodding her head, "Given that the inside seems to still be completely intact, and huge, rope would be your best bet to get into the library. Since when're you so optimistic, Sword Girl?" She slugged the older girl affectionately.
Mariko shrugged, smiling, "Since I'm bored."
It was at least fifteen minutes later before the quintet –Sokka, Mariko, Aang, Katara and Professor Zei; Toph had refused to accompany them because of obvious reasons and was therefore stuck babysitting Appa above ground—descended into the upper echelons of the library. Professor Zei was admiring the architecture that showcased mosaic-created clouds in the domed ceiling, and as they dropped lower, there was a slightly-eerie feel due to the green lights highlighting the columns of rows upon rows of books.
"It's breathtaking! The spirits spared no expense designing this place; look at those beautiful buttresses!" Professor Zei said softly in awe, blinking when both boys present snickered at the last word he uttered, looking at them in confusion. "What's funny?"
"Nothing," Aang said, trying to look like they weren't just giggling like… well, like immature boys, "We just like architecture."
"Horse-pucky." Mariko muttered to Katara, who shared her sentiment with a nod.
Four bridges met in an intersection as they broke their descent, directing her gaze to flicker between one section of book shelves to the other three wide sections, but she glanced up at the mosaic-tiled owl over one particular bridge's exit (she had a feeling this one was the main bridge) and whistled lowly. "Wan Shi Tong must have a fascination with owls." She murmured, looking to the two owls carved into the tops of two thin pillars on either side of the mosaic.
"My word! The exquisite mosaic handiwork of this tile-rendered avian symbol…" At noting his depiction warranted four deadpan expressions from the teens, the professor sheepishly summarized, "Eh, nice… owl."
The rustling of feathers sounded nearby, signaling the group to duck behind the two thin pillars, Aang, Professor Zei and Mariko behind one and Katara and Sokka behind the other. Being the brave one, Mariko glanced around the pillar and her eyes sharpened as a gargantuan owl covered in black feathers save a white patch on its round face that showed its abyss-like black eyes and small beak stepped onto the bridge intersection from another bridge perpendicular to the one they'd vacated. She bit back an oath and zipped her head back behind the pillar when the owl finished surveying the area and its head slowly turned in a three-sixty, blackened eyes staring unblinkingly in their direction.
"I know you're back there." The owl spoke in a low dry tone that seemed to echo with many other voices, and Mariko silently gulped as she realized this wasn't a mere beast but it was a spirit embodying the form of a black owl.
Both Aang and Mariko failed to stop the knowledge-seeking professor as he popped out from behind their pillar to introduce himself jovially to the owl spirit, "Hello! I'm Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University." The firebender was barely able to contain a low oath at his blissfully-absentminded approach to the intimidating librarian.
"You should leave the way you came… unless you want to become a stuffed head of anthropology." The owl threatened with bitterness and venom dripping from his voice.
"Are you the spirit that brought this library to the physical world?" Sokka asked after the quartet deliberated on following the professor's example, stepping out of their hiding place (Mariko trailed dutifully at Aang's side should any threat arise), coming to stand next to their fifth party member.
The owl replied, "Indeed. I am Wan Shi Tong, He Who Knows Ten-Thousand Things. And you are obviously humans, which, by the way," he sniffed haughtily, not making his distaste for their species inconspicuous, "are no longer permitted in my study."
"What do you have against humans?" Aang asked curiously.
Mariko had a pretty good idea of why he so disliked their kind, listening anyway as the spirit said with a tinge of bitterness coating his low voice, "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." Her eyes widened sharply as she recalled the incident at the North Pole; so Zhao had come to Wan Shi Tong's Library, did he? Amber eyes calmed, settling into a slightly tight gaze into space. "So," said spirit ducked his head down to meet Sokka's face with his own with barely seven inches between, baffling the boy, "who are you trying to destroy?"
Sokka spluttered an answer, "What? Oh no, no, no destroying, we're not into that!" Real smooth, meathead.
"Then why have you come here?" Wan Shi Tong almost growled.
"Knowledge for knowledge's sake." Mariko said honestly, if only to keep Sokka from letting their expedition backfire like a stink-bomb, keeping her face stoic when the owl shifted his penetrating stare onto her.
Wan Shi Tong scrutinized, "Lying and firebenders seem to go hand in hand these days. Besides, if you're going to lie to an all-knowing spirit being, you should at least put some effort into it."
"Why should I lie? And even if I was lying, my dearest friend the Avatar would vouch for me." She hated to drag Aang into this, but he was the bridge between the human and spirit world; he would've had to put a word in edgewise anyway.
Aang took the cue instantly, "We will not abuse the knowledge in your library, good spirit. You have my word." He bowed solemnly to the owl that was also scrutinizing him instead of the firebender (who coincidentally relaxed at being saved from being under the spirit's glare), the quartet bowing as well out of respect.
"Hm, very well," Wan Shi Tong complied reluctantly, "I'll let you peruse my vast collection… on one condition. To prove your worth as scholars, you have to contribute some worthwhile knowledge."
Professor Zei was first, presenting a first-edition tome to the spirit who accepted it with a swipe of his wing; Katara went next, showcasing the waterbending scroll she'd pilfered from the pirates long ago; Aang was third, flashing a Fire Nation wanted poster of himself (probably meant as a keepsake or souvenir for the spirit) that was accepted with a "I suppose this counts" from the owl.
Sokka stepped forward and his fingers moved frantically to show the spirit a butterfly-knot he'd made from some string, beaming hopefully at the unamused creature, "Ta da; it's a special knot! That counts as knowledge."
Wan Shi Tong seemed to deadpan, "You're not very bright are you?"
Mariko rolled her eyes at his crestfallen expression as he shuffled away, exhaling as she pulled out a scroll from her bag, unrolling it to present to the owl. "The first firebending scroll I ever learned from, courtesy of my grandfather." She said politely, bowing slightly when the scroll was swept away with the owl's wing as Katara's had been.
"Enjoy the library," Wan Shi Tong wished before he took off after backing from the group to take off into the lower echelons of the library, disappearing into the dimness below.
"I didn't know you'd had a firebending scroll." Aang nudged the firebender as they followed Professor Zei, Katara and Sokka down one section.
Mariko shrugged, smiling a little, sadly. "I wasn't lying when I said it was the first scroll I learned from; Grandpa passed it down to Dad, and then to me when I started proper training at six." She answered.
Mariko stared up at the eclipsed sun model and fought the slight shudder at realizing that she would be powerless on the next solar eclipse; well okay, not totally powerless…
"The Fire Lord is goin' down!" Sokka said excitedly, blinking once when feeling something standing behind him; looking over his shoulder, he froze at seeing the librarian looming and intimidatingly silent.
Wan Shi Tong sounded pissed, "Mortals are so predictable… and such terrible liars." At that he looked scathingly at Sokka with unblinking black eyes, accusing, "You betrayed my trust. From the beginning you intended to misuse this knowledge for evil purposes."
"You don't understand!" Sokka defended quickly, "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!"
Mariko had half a right mind to punch him for voicing such a biased defense, but she kept her mouth shut and dreaded the tension that suffocated the planetarium's air, choking her.
"You think you're the first person to believe their war was justified?" Wan Shi Tong scoffed, adding, "Countless others before you have come here, seeking weapons or weaknesses or battle strategies."
Aang piped up to try and sway the spirit's oncoming wrath, "We had no choice; please, we're just desperate to protect the people we love."
Zuko's face appeared in her mind again and the firebender flinched, her hands lightly balling into fists as she knew the eclipse would not only affect her, but him as well… Damn.
The wind suddenly picked up around them, a loud flapping of wings sounding, and Mariko grappled for Katara's arm on reflex to fight the yanking sensation of the downdraft. "What're you doing!?" Aang asked, his voice raising a decibel in order to be heard against the loudness of the beating of his wings and the howling wind.
"I'm taking my knowledge back." Wan Shi Tong bit out in a quiet and cold voice that ripped through the noise he was creating, "Noone will ever abuse it again."
"He's sinking the building; we've gotta get outta here!" Katara barked as the ceiling was threatening to give way, judging by the sand starting to trickle from the newly-created cracks in the painted sky.
To her horror, the great spirit's form shifted so his neck elongated like a serpent's and he rose up to his full height, completely towering over them. "I'm afraid I can't allow that," the enormous owl thundered dangerously, "You already know too much." With a loud ear-splitting shriek his head snapped down at them.
A whip of fire lashed out from the firebender's hand and she knocked his beaked face away just long enough for the quintet to bolt out of the room at top speed, sprinting as fast as they could through the rows of book shelves, distinctly hearing the beyond-angered spirit giving chase by the light flapping of his wings.
"Aang, get him!" Mariko barked when distantly hearing Professor Zei pleading with the spirit to not destroy his 'vast collection of knowledge', skidding to a halt momentarily as the siblings continued running, lashing out with the whip and giving a sharp crack as the fiery tip smacked the bird right across the eyes.
Okay, bad move… very bad!
With a yanking motion of his hands, Aang grabbed the professor out of harm's way and Mariko shepherded the man past them; swinging his staff hard, Aang sent a wide blast of air at the owl as a thick fan of flames joined the gust, knocking their target off the bridge and down past the lower echelons. "We've gotta get back to the surface," Aang pointed out the obvious.
Mariko nearly ran into Katara when both girls noticed Sokka remained on the bridge with a strange look in his eyes; her own sharpened slightly as she realized he wasn't ready to leave just yet.
"Sokka, let's go!" Katara barked.
"But we still don't know when the next eclipse is gonna happen!" Sokka argued, looking at the bridge again.
Katara fired back desperately, "Don't be stupid, we'll find out later."
"No we won't! If we leave this place, we'll never get the information; Aang come with me to the planetarium, I need cover," Sokka finalized as the airbender trodded to his side, albeit reluctant, "Katara, take Momo and get outta here!" He looked to the firebender next, blue eyes hard, "Give some cover to my sister."
Mariko nodded, frowning concernedly, "Both of you hurry, then, and get your asses back to the surface." As Katara made to protest again, a loud crash sounded as the spirit had returned and dove between them and the two boys, being slapped hard by a thin bout of fire.
"GO!" Sokka yelled just as Mariko grabbed Katara's arm and bolted with Professor Zei at her heels.
"Hurry, Sokka!" Katara exclaimed.
Sprinting past one room after the other, she started to feel winded, but the imminent threat of being a knowledge spirit's lunch didn't sit well with her, so she kept running, making sure the waterbender was at her side every few seconds. Katara dragged her with her down one particular corner, both girls dropping to duck behind a wide bookshelf to regain their breaths, vainly praying they'd outrun the spirit.
Mariko bit her lower lip to fight voicing an oath when hearing a soft clicking of talons come down the row they'd dived into, and then the clicking faded after a few seconds, briefly surprising her; but not unsurprising, training and solitude had taught her to always be wary of another's presence.
He was still here.
"At least I'll have one specimen to add to my collection…" Wan Shi Tong's low drawl hummed before she heard him rush in their direction; both girls scrambled away from the bookshelf and continued running, nearing a section near the intersecting bridges and a sliver of relief ignited and came to life in her heart.
Skidding to a halt infront of the rope they'd originally come in through, both girls shifted into bending stances, but the owl spirit mere chuckled, advancing slowly on the puny threat both girls posed. "Your waterbending won't do you much good, here," he said to the waterbender, "I've studied Northern Water Style, Southern Water Style, and even Foggy Swamp Style. As to your firebending, you don't have enough discipline to keep from dying so foolishly in battle." His head cocked back, lifting up on his long neck as he made to strike.
A loud battle cry sounded overhead before either girl could strike, and the next second, Wan Shi Tong collapsed infront of them with a muffled 'thud'; Mariko blinked once before recognizing that the streak of blue she'd seen for one brief second prior had been Sokka who was wielding a thickly bound tome tucked under his right arm. "That's called Sokka Style: learn it!" Sokka boasted proudly.
Both siblings started ascending via the rope as the firebender and airbender became airborne via glider and fire-rockets (respectively); Sokka perked up to see they were missing a head, looking across the bridges to spot Professor Zei nestled between two book shelves with a few stacks of books encircling his sitting form. "Wait, Professor let's go!" He exclaimed.
"I'm not leaving… I can't." Professor Zei smiled blissfully despite the trickling sand indicating his impending burial, looking at total ease. "I've spent too long trying to find this place; there's not another collection of knowledge like this on Earth," he added dreamily, "I could spend an eternity in here."
At seeing the doubtful look cross his face, Mariko hovered near him, "He's made his choice, let's go!" She urged, zipping ahead of him upward, perking up when seeing the rope swinging violently, a combined cry of surprise coming from the siblings and she looked down to see the owl having regained consciousness and now trying to drag them down.
Determination blazed in her veins and Mariko swung out her right fist with a snarl, sending a wide blast of flames screaming at the persistent spirit and hitting him smack in the face, breaking his grip, but both siblings were soon falling; she dropped down to grab Sokka's extended arm, hoisting him up with Katara desperately clinging to his waist and she kicked it into overdrive as they sped up into the tops of the spire with Aang leading the way.
And then they were free, the clear sky shining down on the quartet that dropped to the sandy ground with a muffled 'oof'.
Both siblings were giddy at the excitement of surviving the ordeal and the newest bit of news regarding the war as Mariko flopped onto her back with a groan, panting and covering her eyes with an arm.
"Tui and La… Never again…" She gingerly got back to her feet, dusting off the sand, looking at the siblings and smiling a little at their joy, blinking as she realized they were missing something.
Mariko looked around quickly, seeing Toph plonked down a few yards away with her head on her knees; she frowned, the dread growing, stepping closer to the younger girl. "Toph?"
"Where's Appa?" Aang asked softly from nearby, making her look at him and then survey the area again to feel dread form a cold fist in the pit of her stomach… Well damn.
A/N: just a small note, i won't be covering 'The Desert' episode mostly because i feel Mariko miight strangle Sokka and also because it's a sort of situation i honestly have no desire to write out because it borders complete death by boredom for me. sorry, folks. good news? the Ba Sing Se arc is coming~ lol i'm psyched, dunno about you. regarding this chap, let's just pretend firebenders keep scrolls of 'how-to's' when it comes to stances and moves, okay? a small spoiler, that's gonna come in handy in Book 3. /wiggles eyebrows
anywho, thanks for the favs and follows so far, another shoutout to my silent readers, srsly, it feels great to hear love about this story, so do feel free to leave a review or comment. whether y'like or hate it, think it sucks or just love it to death, let me know. thanks!