Fire and Aether

Chapter 23: The Library

     Prepare the tissues for close to the end

     Team Avatar had a peaceful next couple of days as Rose learned more about earthbending and improved her air and waterbending. The group had each decided on mini vacations to relax between all the journeying. Besides, all they needed now was to find Jeong Jeong to teach Rose firebending and she would be ready for the fight ahead.
     "We don't have time for vacations!" Sokka said.
    "Look, I've been training everyday with each of you, sword fighting with you, airbending with Aang, waterbending with Katara, earthbending with Toph, and every free moment I'm not doing that, I'm practicing my aetherbending. I'm tired, Sokka."
     "Yea. What's wrong with having a little fun in our downtime?"   
     "Even if you do master all the elements, what are you gonna do? It's not like they have a map of the Fire Nation. Should we just head west until we reach the Fire Lord's house? Knock, knock! Hello, Fire Lord! Anybody home? I don't think so. We need some intelligence if we're gonna win this war."
     "I mean...that is a good point." Rose conceded. 
     "Alright. We'll finish our vacations and then we'll look for Sokka's intelligence." Katara said. Rose and Aang laughed.
     After Katara made her choice, Team Avatar headed out. The trip was a let down but they tried to keep a positive attitude. As they walked into the tavern of the place, a group of sandbenders glanced at them in suspicion. 
     Inside the tavern, a man gazed at Rose and Aang in wonder. "How amazing!"
     Rose raised an eyebrow. "What?"
     "I've never met an aetherbender before. You're gorgeous." 
     "Um...thanks?"
     The man studied her closely. "Such unusual hair. So red, so vibrant!" he said as he stroked along it. He then turned his attention to Aang. "And you are a living relic."
     "I try."
     "An airbender. Excuse me. Professor Zei, Head of Anthropology at Ba Sing Se University. Tell me," he asked Aang, "which of the air temples do you hail from?" 
     "The Southern Temple."
     "And, tell me," he asked Rose as he studied her clothes, "what is the Aether Realm like?"
     "Um...it's fine I guess."
     "Fascinating. I'll need to write all this down in the journal."
     "So, professor, you're obviously a well-traveled guy." Sokka said. "Do you have a more current map? Ours is a bit dated."
     "Certainly." the professor said, laying it out on the table.
     "What? No Fire Nation? Doesn't anybody have a good map of that place?"
     "You've made a lot of trips into the desert." Katara observed.
     "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-Chi Tong's Library."
     "You've spent years walking through the desert to find some guy's library?" Toph asked.
     "This library is more valuable than gold, little lady. It is said to contain a vast collection of knowledge. And knowledge is priceless."
    "Sounds like good times."
    "Oh it is. According to legend, it was built by the great knowledge spirit, Wan-Chi Tong, with the help of his foxy knowledge seekers."
    "Oh so this spirit has attractive assistants, huh?"
    "I'm pretty sure he means actual foxes." Rose said. "Legends always love to mess with people."
    "You're both right. Anyway, they 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-Chi Tong's Library."
    "Then it's settled. Aang, I do believe it's my turn. I'd like to spend my vacation at the library!"
    "You know how lame you sound?" Rose said.
    "Uh, hey, what about me?" Toph asked. "When do I get to pick?"
    "You've got to work here a little longer before you're qualified for vacation time."
    "What is this? A job?"
    "Of course there's the matter of finding it. I've made several trips into the Zi Huang Desert and almost died each time. I'm afraid that desert's impossible to cross."
    "Professor would you like to see a sky bison?"
    "A sky bison? You actually have one?"
    "And a dragon." Rose added.
    Some sandbenders were surrounding Appa by the time Team Avatar came out. The professor shooed them away and they ran. After they were gone, the professor inspected Appa as he had done to Rose and Aang.
    Then he turned his attention to Crystal. She growled at him and he backed away. Rose pet Crystal, calming her, and giving the professor the chance to also pet her. "I'm sorry about her. She's skittish because she's the last of her kind. She's just a baby."
    The group got on Appa and Crystal and took off. After much searching, they found out that the library was buried under the sand. Fortunately, the inside was completely intact. They left Toph outside with Appa and snuck inside the library by climbing through the window and down a rope. 
    The spirit appeared, looking for Team Avatar, who had already hid. "I know you're back there."
    The professor moved forward. "Hello, I'm Professor Zei, Head of Anthropology at Ba Sing Se University."
    "You should leave the way you came...unless you want to become a stuffed head of anthropology."
    Team Avatar came out of their hiding places. "Are you the spirit who brought this library to the physical world?"
    "Indeed. I am Wan-Chi Tong, he who knows 10,000 things. And you are obviously humans, which, by the way, are no longer permitted in my study."
    "Why?" Rose asked.
    "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 who are you trying to destroy?"
    "No one." Rose said, stepping forward. "I am the Avatar and I can assure you that we will not abuse the knowledge in your library, good spirit."
    "Hmm...very well. I'll let you peruse my vast collection on one condition: to prove your worth as scholars, you have to contribute some worthwhile knowledge."
    The professor knelt before the great spirit. "Please accept this tome as a donation to your library."
    "First edition. Very nice."
    The spirit accepted his gift with a swipe of his wing. Rose was the next to kneel before him. "I have one thing." she said, pulling a large tome of her own from the pocket dimension. "It is a book of all the knowledge put together by those of us from the Aether Realm, ancient prophecies, magical rituals, spells and potions, fighting tips, and wisdom from our ancestors."
    "Wait. You just had that in another dimension all this time?" Sokka asked.
    "Yes. My people thought it would help me on my journey. Now it is yours, noble spirit."
    "This is a precious gift." the spirit said. "I will gladly accept it."
    He swiped his wing, accepting the gift. Next, Katara stepped forward. "I have an authentic waterbending scroll."
    "Oh these illustrations are quite stylish." A swipe.
    "Oh, I know!" Aang said, pulling out his and Rose's wanted posters.
    "I suppose that counts." A swipe.
    Finally, Sokka walked forward. "Oh great spirit, check this out." He tied a knot. "Ta da. It's a special knot. That counts as knowledge."
    "You're not very bright, are you?" Still, the spirit accepted his gift with a swipe of his wing. "Enjoy the library."
     With that, he flew off. Sokka muttered after him in annoyance. Together, they looked through the library, Sokka finding something on the Fire Nation's darkest day. One of the foxes lead Team Avatar to a spot in the library that showed what happened on different dates. Sokka entered the date on the parchment and it showed a solar eclipse.
    "I don't know why we didn't think of it sooner." Rose said. "Think of what the lunar eclipse did to the waterbenders. They couldn't waterbend. So a solar eclipse would prevent firebending."
    "We've got to get this information to the Earth King at Ba Sing Se!" Sokka said. "We can invade the firebenders during the next eclipse! The Fire Lord is going down!"
    Suddenly, the great spirit appeared. "Humans are so predictable and such terrible liars."
    The great spirit began to sink the building, then chasing after Team Avatar to prevent them from leaving. Outside, Toph felt the building sinking and used earthbending to hold it up.
    Back inside, Team Avatar managed to fend off the spirit, Sokka deciding to find out when the next solar eclipse would be. Now, Toph had a problem as the same sandbenders showed up and began to steal Appa, forcing Toph to fight them.
    The solar eclipse would be in a few weeks, they found out. Toph had no choice but to go back to holding up the building, causing Appa to be taken. Team Avatar escaped but the professor chose to stay at the risk of his death, not wanting to leave behind the knowledge he'd spent too long looking for.
     Team Avatar flew out the window and Toph lost her grip on the building, causing it to retreat into the depths of the earth.
     "Where's Appa?" Aang asked.
     Toph shook her head. Crystal flew out of nowhere and landed on Rose's shoulder. She gasped and a tear rolled down her cheek.
     "Some sandbenders took him. Crystal hid so they wouldn't find her. It's--there was nothing Toph could do. It was let us die or save Appa."
     Aang ran into Rose's open arms and broke down into sobs.
                       * * * * *
    Appa was passed through many hands, some kinder than others. Finally, he was saved by a woman with long white gold hair and purple eyes that saw things the eye couldn't see.
    "Shush!" she said. "I'm a friend. Sleep."
    He passed out.
    When Appa woke up, the woman was sitting beside him. "Oh, you've awoken, my magnificent friend." She handed him a bowl of food and he happily ate. "My name is Aurora. Your master, Aang, the airbender, is a good friend of the Avatar, her Guardian. I met her once before, told her her future." Appa made a loud noise. "I tell you this because I need to see her again. I saw a vision: there is something I must teach her before she faces the Fire Lord."
     Aurora stood and moved closer to Appa. "May I attach this to your horn? If your master sees it, so will she." Appa conceded. "Thank you. Now, listen carefully. The Avatar and your master has gone to Ba Sing Se. Someone there will lead you to them. He is a friend...the soul mate of the Avatar. He will set you free from those who would hold you captive."
    As Appa took off into the sky, Aurora called, "Good luck, Appa!"
    With that, Aurora disappeared into the night.