Avatar - The Last Airbender (Storyteller Version)

Chapter 15: The Fury of Aang

As the days passed, Aang continued training with both Katara and Toph. But after awhile, the children all decided that they needed to take mini-vacations. For one such mini-vacation, Aang and the others traveled to the Misty Palms Oasis. Aang had once been to this pristine natural ice spring resort, and he couldn't wait to show it to his friends. But to his disappointment, Misty Palms Oasis didn't look anything like he remembered when they arrived. Very little of the ice spring was left, and the palm trees which had once shaded and protected it were gone. The resort had been reconstructed into a rundown village. Stepping into a bustling cantina, the children soon learned what had become of the ice. A bartender was using it to prepare drinks for customers. One such customer, a man wearing wide-brimmed hat bought himself an iced mango drink from the bartender. As he strolled to his table, he collided into Aang, spilling his drink all over the boy. With a gust of air, Aang dried himself in no time. The man was amazed.

ZEI: An Air Nomad, right in front of me! Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University.

Aang and the others joined him at his table. Zei generously shared his drink with them.

SOKKA: So, Professor, you're obviously a well-traveled guy. Do you have a more current map? Ours seems to be a little dated.

ZEI: Certainly.

Zei took out his map, and Sokka glanced at it. The map was adorned with marks.

SOKKA: What?! No Fire Nation? Doesn't anybody have a good map of that place!?

KATARA: You've made a lot of trips into the desert.

ZEI: All in vain, I'm afraid. I've found lost civilizations all over the Earth Kingdom, but I haven't managed to find the crown jewel: Wan Shi Tong's library. It is said to contain a vast collection of knowledge, and knowledge is priceless. According to the legend, it was built by the great Knowledge Spirit, Wan Shi Tong, with the help of his knowledge seekers. 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.

SOKKA: If this place has books from all over the world, do you think they've got info on the Fire Nation? A map, maybe?

ZEI: I wouldn't know, but if such a thing exists, it's in Wan Shi Tong's library.

Inspired, they all decided to visit the mysterious library. As the companions strode outside, they saw four suspicious-looking beings wrapped in cloth surrounding Appa.

ZEI: Sandbenders! Shoo! Away from the bison!

The sandbenders backed off, climbing onto wooden vehicles with sails. They all watched as the professor and the children mounted the bison and flew off. But it wouldn't be the last the Avatar and his friends would see of these greedy scavengers....

Appa carried his passengers over a vast desert until they spotted a tower sticking out of the sand. Appa descended, and the travelers disembarked, examining it. Just then, a small creature appeared on the sand dune beside them. It was a grey fox, holding a scroll in its mouth. As Aang and the others watched, the fox pranced up the tower wall, and climbed into an elaborately carved window. The professor was astonished.

ZEI: I think that was one of the knowledge seekers. Oh, we must be close to the library!

SOKKA: No. This is the library.

Looking at the professor's own sketch of the library, the children recognized the tower as the top spire of the palace-like structure. That was when they realized that the library was buried beneath the sand. The excited professor took out his shovel.