Avatar: Cycles of Life (Closed)

[Ahren1]

Sai couldn't help but chuckle again at the situation, as well as the comment on the eggs. Of course he knew leaving Sheng and Fumiko alone was not the first thing they wanted right now, but giving them a few moments to possibly clear things up with each other was necessary. They all needed to be focused in their travels, and relationship conflict was certainly a roadblock that needed to be avoided whenever possible. As Fukiko mentioned changing her tunic, he nodded, turning away from the Earth tent. Though he couldn't see anything, he figured it was still polite. Not that he wasn't curious...

When she emerged, he turned back to her and nodded, walking with her into the town. Despite being early, there was a fair amount of people bustling around. The wanderer began to find it difficult to conserve what little money they had, and even added in some of his own. As he turned to his traveling companion, he gathered a couple of the purchased eggs into a small bag. "Did you find anything you would like, yet?"

Sai glanced around the village idly, awaiting her reply until he noticed Luna doing a patrol. He gave a nod, which she returned, but he couldn't help noticing the narrow eyes she gave him. Did she know something? He wondered, trying not to watch her too intently. They had captured those Fire Nation rogues, after all. Did they know something? Sighing softly, Sai returned to Fukiko and smiled, pretending as if he had seen nothing.

"How much time do you think we should give the other two to patch things up?" He said with a bit of a chuckle.

 

[Armphid]

"Good," Sheng responded to Fukiko with a smile. "There's a lot I can do with an egg, and I'd hate for you to miss out." He shifted so that his back was to the tent, not that he would look, but he wanted to avoid even an accidental glimpse while she was changing. However, she was soon out, and with the traveling painter by her side, was off to town. Leaving him with Fumiko.

...Why couldn't Fire benders attack them now?

He continued cooking for several minutes in silence. He really didn't know what to say, and despite how talkative he seemed, he spent a lot of time not talking. Usually he was alone on the road, and he did talk to himself, but not too much. He sometimes went for days without speaking. When he'd gotten lost in the Great Divide, he went a whole week without talking. But...staying silent might not be the best idea.

How to start? "Uh, Fumiko, er, Lady Fumiko...how do you like your bacon? I like it crisp, but I've met a few you prefer it kind of chewy." Wow. That was lame. Or course, it was a valid question too. "Not the best way to start, huh?"

He sighed, "Look, about last night, your sister talked to me, and I'm sorry if it seemed like I was treating like you didn't know what you were doing. That wasn't why I, you know, did what I did." He paused, trying to find a way to explain it...and coming up short. "It's...I mean, I like you a lot Fumiko, but I just met you, and you don't know me, and I don't know you, but I want to, and if we end up not really getting along, then I wouldn't want you to feel bad that you and I...did whatever...damn it." He shook his head, "I'm not making any sense at all, am I?"

Sifu was right. He was an idiot.

 

[HookerBoots]

Fukiko spent some time looking over a display of fruit, pretending not to notice Luna on the other side of the marketplace. The apples looked good, if pricey, as did the other fruits, but she wasn't sure they had the money for them. She glanced at Sai, smiling. "It all looks good, actually. And I don't know." Giving him a whimsical smile, she said, "We've never been in this sort of situation before."

They moved over to a stall of vegetables, and she began to haggle with the vendor over a handful of onions and two green peppers. When the victory was complete and she had her produce, Fukiko hefted the small bag and tilted her head. "Potatoes, next?"

~ ~ ~ ~​

Fumiko was looking down at her blanket as the silence stretched between them. She wasn't sure what to say, and that was unusual. But nothing felt like it would make sense, or help at all, so . . . more silence.

He asked about the bacon, and she blinked, looking up at him with wide eyes. That, more than anything, told her how lost he was on this as well. As far as she could tell, he wasn't often at a loss for words, and that lame conversational gambit was . . . well, lame. But she said softly, "I like mine crisp as well. And . . . it's fine, really."

She turned all the way around to face him, running a hand through her hair and tugging at the few tangles there. "I think we both bungled it pretty badly, actually. I reacted poorly, I didn't realize you were just trying to be sure that neither of us would get hurt if . . . well, if things don't get work." Standing gracefully, Fumiko walked the few steps over to where Sheng was tending breakfast and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for being concerned. But I like you a lot, too, and I think we'll get along very well."

Her lips quirked into a wry smile. "As long as we can keep from irritating each other too much, that is." Stepping back, she turned and looked out at the water, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "Now. A good breakfast is important, especially since today, I'm going to ride the Unagi."

 

[Armphid]

Sheng smiled at the feel of her hand on his shoulder. He looked up and back at her, noting how the early sun seemed to caress her long hair and pale skin. "That is going to be the tough part. But...I'm going to try my hardest. Despite the fact that you've got a twin, there isn't another girl like you in the world."

He chuckled as she made her declaration. He was tempted to make a joke aobut her riding the Unagi, but decided against it. He'd just gotten back into her good graces. "You know, you might want to consider trying it before Fukiko gets back. She seemed pretty determined not to let you." Sheng was not the right person to have in the position of stopping someone from doing something dangerous but fun. Not only that, but if she could pull it off, it'd be a real test of her bending. "If I were you, I'd be heading out there right now."

 

[Ahren1]

Sai watched Fukiko shop without making any attempt to bother her. Something about this situation seemed nice and peaceful to the point where he considered more words just to be bothersome. It was rare he enjoyed the company of another to such an extent, but that only proved that Fukiko was really one of a kind, even if she was a twin. He had a feeling Sheng felt the same about Fumiko, which in a sense was a relief, as if they had taken an interest in the same sister, complications would have arisen during the journey that Sai didn't feel like being involved in. He wondered just how skilled of an Earthbender Sheng was. He was trained by Toph herself, after all. Still, that didn't necessarily make him a trained warrior, just a trained bender. Sai had already proven that he could easily hold his own, even without bending.

As Fukiko suggested they gather the potatoes next, Sai just nodded and followed along, taking the already purchased food from her and carrying it silently. Another look around the town proved that Luna had disappeared from sight, which was sort of a relief. If they had run into her, it would probably only lead to an awkward moment, even if they had seemingly gotten along well the previous night. He couldn't shake the feeling that Luna had been jealous, seeing him with Fukiko after he had rejected her personally the night before. If she was, could he blame her? There was no doubt in his mind that he was interested in Fukiko, but not so much Luna. All he could do was be glad that he had stopped anything from happening with Luna before it was too late, therefore he had no obligation to her.

Letting his mind change the subject, the painter continued to watch as Fukiko skillfully haggled with the food vendors. As much as she enjoyed being seen for someone different than her father, it was obvious that being the daughter of The Avatar did have it's perks. The vendors seemed more than happy to part with goods at remarkable discounts that Sai knew he would never have managed on his own. Surely it wasn't just her lineage, however. Fukiko was a genuinely kind and charismatic girl, and he didn't doubt that she would have been able to get good deals on her own simply through that. It was satisfying just watching her be herself, something he missed being able to do...

They had begun to head back now, and with that last thought, a sudden urge came over him as they walked back to camp. He had to tell her the truth. Despite only knowing her for such a short time, he felt a connection to her, and constantly lying to her was wrong... wasn't it?

"Fukiko.." Sai called out from a few steps behind the Airbender sister. As she turned, he looked into her eyes with his own golden gaze and he was weakened once again. He couldn't tell her yet. It was selfish, but he knew if he told them, there was a good chance they'd leave him here and move on without him. Even if she was kind enough to let him off easy, it still meant having to be alone again. After meeting her, he didn't want that. He didn't want to leave her side yet..

"We should hurry, Sheng is likely almost done with the other food." He added, ultimately changing his mind. Someday he'd tell her, and hopefully they would have a close enough bond by then to where she would be able to understand and forgive him...

 

[HookerBoots]

Fukiko looked at Sai for another moment. It had seemed like he was going to say something else to her, but then changed his mind. She sighed inwardly. Another thing that he wasn't comfortable telling them yet. But she wondered what had made him want to tell her now. Hefting the bags of food again, Fukiko smiled brightly at him. "He's not done with this food," she said.

"But you're right. Let's get back, just in case they managed to upset each other again. And so we can eat. I'm starved!" She took the few steps back to him and grabbed his wrist, dragging him along. His skin was warm and smooth, and for a moment all she did was savor the feeling of their contact. Had he felt that almost electric jolt, that tingle, when they touched?

~ ~ ~ ~​

Fumiko smiled at Sheng over her shoulder. "She won't really stop me. I don't think." Brushing her hair back, she knelt down near the fire. "I'm sure we can keep fom irritating each other too much, as long as we remember how much we like each other."

She peered into the pan and then looked back at Sheng. "Is it ready? I need to get fed before I take on the Unagi. And I'm hungry!"

 

[Armphid]

Sheng laughed, "You might regret having a full stomach once that monster starts thrashing around." Her enthusiasm for it was really cute. And it was interesting to see this side of her, she'd seemed very straight laced compared to Fukiko until now. "The bacon is ready, but unless you wait for your sister and Sai to get back, that's all we have."

He lifted up a slice of the now crisp meat. "Your choice, cutie. Meat and meat alone or can you wait for eggs too?"

 

[Ahren1]

"Ah, y-yes.." He managed to reply as Fukiko grasped his hand and pulled him to quicken their pace. Though he didn't express it, he was glad to have such contact with her again. Just the feel of her skin against his was a delight. Perhaps if the Gods favored him someday, they would allow him and Fukiko to have a much closer connection. For now, however, it was just a daydream, which he could at least carry to occupy his thoughts whenever he needed to think of something pleasurable. Not long after, the pair managed to return to camp where Sai had caught the tail end of a conversation.

"Cutie..? Is this the right camp, I wonder?" A familiar voice questioned from off to the side. Sai approached, holding a bad of food he and Fukiko managed to acquire. "My apologies for taking so long. Finding proper ingredients for a meal isn't something to be rushed, after all."

Sai handed his bag to Sheng, glancing between the Earthbender and his Waterbending companion with a bit of curiosity. "What monster were you speaking of exactly?" He added, proving he had overheard a bit more than was likely intended. It wasn't hard to figure out what they were speaking of, and he knew of the Unagi, which had a reputation now for random adventurers attempting to ride it and meeting an unkind fate. As far as he knew, the only one to succeed at such a task was the Avatar himself. It would make sense if Fumiko was interested in mastering what her father had done, albeit at a younger age. He was the Avatar, though, so perhaps that wasn't so surprising.

The surprising part was Fumiko being the one to wish to try it. It sounded more like a task Fukiko would have wished to take on first, and he wondered what the sister's reaction would be to hearing this.

 

[HookerBoots]

"Yes, what monster might that be?" Fukiko stepped up, one eyebrow up as she looked at her sister. "I know you're not talking about the Unagi, 'Miko, because that subject is closed."

Fumiko grinned at her sister fearlessly. "You won't stop me, if I really want to. Besides," she added with a wink, "I need you there to catch me if I fall off." Turning to Sai, her eyes fixed on the bag in his hand. "What'd you guys buy?"

Fukiko stared at her, arms folded. "Eggs, vegetables, some fruit. I won't have to catch you."

"That's the spirit!"

"Because you're not doing it."

"Look, 'Kiko." Fumiko looked at her sister seriously. "You know this is important to me, and I'm going to do it. Appa won't leave without me, and I'm not leaving until I ride that sea monster. End of story."

After a moment of silence, where the girls started at each other, Fukiko sighed and turned away. "Fine. But I don't want to hear any whining about bruises afterwards."

Letting out a squeal, Fumiko darted forward and hugged her twin. "Of course not, 'Kiko. I can heal, remember!" She released her ruefully smiling sister and turned back to the guys. "Well. Why don't we clean up while you fine gentleman deal with breakfast?"

 

[Armphid]

Sheng was glad the girls' conversation made him not have to answer Sai. The wanderer wasn't supposed to hear him calling Fumiko that. He took the bag of food, inspecting the haul. "Yeah, this is nice," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Hey, Sai. Cut up the fruit, would you?"

The young Earthbender started to crack the eggs, and before long, a quartet of vegetable omlettes were cooking. The fire was good and hot, meaning they'd be ready very soon. Which was good. It wasn't wise to keep women from food in his experience. "This'll be done in a few minutes. If you two get camp straightened up, we can watch Fumiko ride the Unagi, stop by the temple, and be on our way before noon."

Maybe he shouldn't have encouraged her, but hell...if he was a water bender, he'd totally do it. How incredible would it be! Yeah, it was dangerous...but that was part of the point. Well, for him it was.

Maybe he was crazy...eh. If he was, he had good reason. And did it really matter?

"All right, food's on!" With a heft and a few quick 'stabs' of the skillet, the egg s flew to land perfectly in the empty bowls that waited. "Dig in, people. Busy day ahead."

 

[Ahren1]

Sai smiled lightly at the sisters as they argued about the Unagi. It was shocking how quick their disagreement ended. Was this what it was like to have such a loving sibling? He had gone through life not ever knowing, that it seemed almost impossible for him to imagine. That was, until he left the harsh, controlled world of his father's, and into the real world, where people cared about more than battle and honor. They cared about each other. Friendship. Love. It sounded silly, but he enjoyed it. He craved it. The real question was, could he be like that, or would he simply have to settle on acting for the rest of his life. Acting like he had emotions and feelings. Still, the feelings he had felt with Fukiko were real. When she touched his hand, he felt the spark. The spark he hadn't known since his first love...

The golden eyed painter snapped back to reality when he heard Sheng's voice mention his name, and he quickly looked toward the fruit. "Ah, yes, of course." He uttered rather simply, proceeding to gather the fruit and cut it properly. The whole meal was smelling rather delicious now, but he knew he couldn't get used to it. Soon enough, they'd be eating nuts that may as well be rocks, unless they could come across some money, or more kind strangers. After all, they had the daughters of the Avatar with them, and Sai had just seen for himself what such a title could do for you.

As far as Fumiko riding the Unagi, Sai didn't bother saying much more about it. There was obviously no stopping her, nor was it his job. Technically he had not signed up for any specific position on their quest, rather they had invited him along. That didn't mean he would not protect them, but it did mean he did not have to act like a fatherly protector, not letting any danger whatsoever come to his girls. They were old enough to make their own decisions, and mistakes.

The plan for the day sounded straightforward, but in Sai's mind, it was one step closer to finally resolving everything. There was no other way. These people were the ones who would help him. He could feel it. As he sat down to eat, he chose a spot next to Fukiko, where he smiled warmly to her. "I have to say.. I am.. actually looking forward to this journey. It's been a long time since I really had something to look forward to, other than simply the next day, and the day after that..."

 

[HookerBoots]

Fukiko swallowed a bite of her omelette, and smiled at Sai. "That's good to hear. I'm looking forward to it, too." This was really exciting, even if she was concerned over Fumiko's insistance on riding the Unagi. The feeling of not knowing where they were going to be sleeping that night, or even where they would head after they were done here. "And, well, this is the first time we've done anything like this, so it's all pretty neat." She looked at Sheng. "This is great, Sheng."

Fumiko nodded and took a bite of bacon. "Yeah, it really is. Where'd you learn to cook?" The omelette really was good, and she was a little surprised that he was such a good cook, really. From what Mother had told them, on their journey, she had done most of the cooking. But Fumiko was grateful for Sheng's abilities, since neither she nor Fukiko could do much more than boil water.

 

[Armphid]

Sheng smiled broadly at the compliments. The sentiment was nice, but having two gorgeous girls smile at you and say those things was even better. A man could really enjoy something like that. “I learned from the finest chef in Ba Sing Se.” His smile faded only a little, but he continued on, “My mother wasn’t the type to just sit around on ceremony, and for a time when I was young, she kept herself occupied by acting as the…household’s main chef.” He’d almost said the Palace. It was a dangerous slip up. Hopefully, they were too into the food to notice. “I was very young, so to keep me under wraps when I wasn’t in lessons, I was with her in the kitchen, and, well…she put me to work. Felt that I should know some practical skills, and she said that girls liked boys who could cook. I didn’t really get what she meant back then, but…” He winked at the twins.

Mother. She did so much for him and his siblings back then. And then…

He shook his head, determined not to think about it or get gloomy again. “Anyway. I learned a lot there. Including a trick that’s going to make clean up a breeze. Check this out.” He got to his feet, “If you notice, the pots and pans I brought on this trip,” he tapped the dirty frying pan, “are ceramic.” He flipped the pan upside down on the ground in front of Appa, then stepped back. He slid into a horse stance, his arms shifting up and then down, his hands flexing as though taking hold of something, then he brought them back up. The pan whirled through the air, Sheng catching it.

He swung around showing it to the others, the thing now completely clean. “Ta da!” On the ground where the pan had been was a small pile of oil and cooking detritus. “Earthbending, not just for the battlefield or construction site.” Behind him, Appa sniffed at the pile before licking it up with his broad tongue.

 

[HookerBoots]

Fumiko applauded, grinning as she swallowed the last bite of her omelette. "I love dinner theater, don't you?" she whispered loudly to her twin, then giggled. She studied her bowl. "Can you do that with these, too?"

"'Miko, don't tease him, it's cool!"

"I know it's cool, that's why I asked!" She stuck her tongue out at Fukiko, then grinned at Sheng. Standing up, she stretched, the bowl still held in one hand. "Well, let's get cleaned up and head to the temple. After that, I'll see about that sea monster."

"There's no need to head to the temple, Avatar's daughter," a voice from the edge of the camp said. Heads swiveled around to see Lao-Tien and two younger priests standing there, a slight smile on his face. The old holy man bowed slightly, hiding the sparkle in his eyes. "I decided a walk would do me good, and would perhaps speed you on your important journey. And I congratulate you on your resolve to ride the Unagi. In my youth, I did so. My hip still aches when the fog rolls in." His smile was wide. "But then, I am not a Waterbender."

 

[Armphid]

Sheng winked at Fumiko, "What's in it for me if I do?" Then he heard Lao-Tien, and spun around to see the holy man. Aw, cripes. He just HAD to show up when Sheng was blatantly hitting on the Avatar's daughter. The Earthbender actually blushed a little, hoping no one commented.

The old priest had given him the perfect distraction though. "So, you weren't always so serene?" Sheng chuckled, "Somehow that affirms my faith in the world."

The gray haired cleric smiled knowingly, "That's the greatest thing any monk can hope for. That and comfortable robes." He laughed softly, then turned back to face the girls. "I thought that, given the nature of your quest, I should tell you as soon as I found something. Though all I have found...is an absence of something."

He spread his hands, "We went back looking through the documents and records of Avatar Kyoshi, and we found a few references to a text that related a tale about Avatar Kurik. When he became Avatar, there was a disagreement between the two Water Tribes as to which one should have the toys to find him. As a result, the toys were with the wrong tribe when he was born, but someone used another method to find that he was the Avatar." Lao-Tien frowned, "Kyoshi had the tale recorded and stored in case it would be needed...but we cannot find it." Frustration was clear on his face, as was a slightly troubled expression. "The scroll is gone from our records. All others are accounted for, but that one is missing."

 

[Ahren1]

Sai nodded in response to Fukiko. It was refreshing to know she was looking forward to it as well. Of course, she could have just been saying that, but he didn't doubt her sincerity. Though, he was mostly looking forward to the journey as it meant more time to spend with her, whereas she was likely just eager to go on an adventure. He wondered if his being there really made much of a difference when it came to her happiness. Hopefully it would eventually, even if it was simply to be a good friend. Though, being a good friend was sort of a foreign concept to him. Did he even know what friends were after being subjected to his father and brother for so long? No, of course he knew. His mother, and his girlfriend. They were true friends.

"Oh, yes. Thank you for the meal." He added after hearing the girls compliment the cooking. Sheng definitely had a skill in more than Earthbending. Good thing, too, as he was not exactly the best cook himself. Rather, while traveling he would just hunt an animal, then cook it to perfection with Firebending. He obviously wouldn't be able to do that around his new companions, so working with regular fire would possibly be confusing. He quietly listened to the story about how Sheng learned to cook, then watched as he displayed some impressive Earthbending to clean up. Even though Fumiko was about to attempt something quite dangerous, everyone seemed in a good mood. It was reassuring to Sai, who knew they would likely work well, even under pressure. Though, he did roll his eyes to himself when Sheng and Fumiko bantered slightly. The man was rather blunt, which had it's advantages, but also annoyances.

When the cleric arrived, Sai turned his gaze, his golden eyes observing the sudden appearance of the man. For some reason, he had been skeptical of his intentions for a moment, but he calmed when he began to speak. It was difficult to shake warrior training. He could only hope that it would not be his accidental downfall one of these days. The information he presented, however, was quite important, still, all it meant was they still had nothing to go on, though it may be a clue.

"If that particular scroll was taken, then perhaps someone is trying to hinder the Avatar's daughter's quest, or perhaps worse, trying to locate the next Avatar before we do.. If someone were to accomplish such, and had malicious intent.. It could seriously damage the state of the world, should the worst happen to the new Avatar before he even has a chance to realize who he is...

It would basically mean a world without an Avatar again, once Avatar Aang is gone. We all know what happened last time..."

Sai's fists tightened. His home, the Fire Nation, was responsible for a world war. He wasn't even alive for it, yet some people still blamed him. Now his father wanted to start it all over again. Sai had to wonder, did he have something to do with this...?

 

[HookerBoots]

The twins looked at each other, eyes wide and worried. Fukiko looked back at the holy man. "Lao-Tien, has anyone else come here asking about the information recently?"

The elderly monk shook his head. "No, Avatar's daughter. The people on this island have little interest in the history of Avatars that are not Kyoshi, sadly, and no visitors have come to the temple in several months."

"But that doesn't eliminate someone stealing it, does it?" Fumiko asked, her fingers twisting the ends of her long hair. "Not to be offensive, Lao-Tien, but a bender or ninja could probably enter the temple and take what they wanted."

He sighed heavily. "Too true. We are a holy order, trained for devotion, not protection, and the doors of the temple stand open all day, with no guards. Many wild animals and birds enter and leave at will, and perhaps one of them thought it would make a comfortable bed." A wry smile twisted his face. "Ordinarily, I would not begrudge any creature a soft bed, but in this case, it is rather inconvenient."

"Rather, yes." Fumiko looked at her sister, then at the two men, and back at Lao-Tien. She bowed deeply. "Thank you, Lao-Tien, for your efforts. We must now decide what is to be done for our search."

 

[Armphid]

Sheng listened to the holy man's account with a frown. The story about the animals was cute, but...it felt a little too pat to him. The one thing they needed was the one thing missing? There was an agent at work here.

Lao-Tien nodded at the girls' thanks, "I wish there was more than I could do. And there may yet be. Since trade with the Fire Nation has opened up again, out temple has a trio of messenger hawks. We would gladly put them at your disposal."

"That could be very handy." Sheng hadn't said anything yet, eyes turning to the young Earthbender. "It'll help us cover more ground than we could. Lao-Tien, would any of the other Avatar temples have a record like this?"

The old man thought for a moment. "Perhaps the temple to Avatar Kurik at the North Pole. But that is the only one I can think of."

Sheng looked at the girls, "If there's someone else who's trying to find this information, and stopping us from doing it, we need to move quickly. Sending the hawk would let us go somewhere else and look. I think it's worth trying."

 

[Ahren1]

Sai had wanted to speak up about how careless such a lack of security was for supposedly very important documents. Documents that were possibly stolen, and maybe even threatened the life of the next Avatar. It was not only irresponsible, but something that could carry dire consequences if one were in the Fire Nation. However, they weren't in the Fire Nation, and he had to remember that. Sai decided to keep mostly quiet on that for now, as chastising the cleric would do no good now, anyways.

As Sheng questioned where another scroll of that nature might be, the North Pole came up, which Sai shivered at the mere thought of. Icy environments made Firebending more difficult, as well as gave Waterbenders more power. Not that it mattered. He didn't expect to be fighting any Waterbenders, especially with his Firebending. Nonetheless, such situations had to be considered. Who knew who the enemy was, or what abilities they carried. The concept of sending a hawk to locate information seemed a bit inadequate, but it helped cover more ground, but there was another question.

"The only lead we have right now is the North Pole. Where would we go, or rather, send the hawk if that's where we chose to fly?"

 

[HookerBoots]

Both of the girls looked at each other. Neither had any idea where other clues would be, or even how to go about finding them. Fukiko sighed and tugged her hair back into a long tail down her back. "Well," she said slowly, "we could try the temple to Avatar Roku, but that would mean going all the way to the Fire Nation. Or to the university of Be Sing Se, which means . . . ."

". . . Going all the way to Ba Sing Se," Fumiko finished, her arms folded as she thought. "Neither is ideal, but the hawks would let us effectively be in two places at once." Then something occurred to her, and she glanced at Lao-Tien. "Lao-Tien, have you heard of someone named Wan Shi Tong?"

The old monk laughed. "He is a legend, Avatar's daughter. He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things does not exist."

Uncle Sokka had mentioned him, which meant he probably did exist, but no one knew. Putting on her best smile, she said, "Can you tell us the story?"

The look always worked with Father, and it worked with Lao-Tien as well. He beamed at her. "Of course. Somewhere - no one is sure quite where - the Library of Spirits sits, holding knowledge on every topic, from every nation. Even nations that have long since died and turned to dust. Guarding the Library is Wan Shi Tong, He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things. He is the Spirit of Wisdom, and keeps his library to ensure that no knowledge is lost." The old man smiled wistfully, thinking of the days when he had believed in that. "Wan Shi Tong is assisted by foxes, who both patrol the library and go out to find things that he asks them to. But it is a myth, a parable." He shook his head. "The Library of Spirits is the human mind, and Wan Shi Tong is a symbol for the memories we have, and the soul, while his foxes are our abilities to learn."

The girls exchanged a glance again, and both smiled at him. "Thank you, Lao-Tien," Fukiko said, her eyes glittering with thought. "If you don't mind, we will talk together about where we will go, and come to the temple later, to let you know where we need the messenger hawks sent."

 

[Armphid]

The aging holy man nodded, “Certainly. I should be getting back to the temple anyway. With luck, I’ll be able to catch the young monks slacking off and give them a scolding.” He chuckled, “It’s always a nice way to cap off a long walk.” He bowed low to Fukiko and Fumiko, then turned and gave a much shallower bow to the young men. “I will await your arrival at the temple then.” With one last smile, he set off back down the path he’d come from.

Sheng shook his head as he watched the man go, “I like that old man,” he said to no one in particular. “But he’s put us in a real bind.” The normally rowdy Earthbender was leaning against the bulk of Appa, moving forward and back as the great beast breathed. “I’m surprised you guys never heard the story of Wan Shi Tong either, I thought everybody did.” Maybe it was an Earth Kingdom story. Sai hadn’t given any visual clue that he’d known it either. “But Lao-Tien left some things out. No one hunts foxes in the Earth Kingdom, and it’s bad luck to kill one, even by accident. Because if it was one of Wan Shi Tong’s knowledge seekers, he’ll come looking for it when it doesn’t return” Sheng shook his head again, “In the stories where that happens, someone, sometimes whole families and villages, always ends up disappearing.”

“Anyway, he is right that it’s just a story though.” Although he remembered something about a crazy professor at Ba Sing Se University who’d written a treatise about the Spirit Library…nah. His tutors were probably just trying to pull a joke on the crown prince. “For what’s it’s worth, since we can fly, we’re actually not that far from the island where Avatar Roku’s temple is.” He shrugged, “But I don’t know how much good will come from going there. The place burned down once during the war. Anything that was there probably got burned up.”

Their best shot was probably Ba Sing Se. But he didn’t want to go back there yet. Possibly ever. “But since it’s close, it might be best to hear there anyway. Just to rule it out. And we might be able to find something out about those firebenders who attacked us.”

 

[Ahren1]

Sai had done his best not to make any expressions during the conversations. The choices had apparently been Ba Sing Se, or Avatar Roku's temple in the Fire Nation.. Obviously Sai had a preference, however if he made it clear he did not wish to go to the Fire Nation, it may give them a clue to his past that he didn't feel like revealing yet. He actually had heard of the Library of Spirits, however not to that amount of detail. The existence of some great library and knowledgeable being didn't quite help him much before, however now it seemed like it would be rather useful. From the sound of it, it likely didn't exist, which would be a shame.

As the monk left, it seemed they were still only left with the two options, and Sheng did not look all too pleased with the idea of going back to Ba Sing Se. It seemed neither of the men had much interest in returning to their homes. It was a sad state to see people in the world so reluctant to return from where they had come from. Sai knew his own reasons, but what exactly were Sheng's? It was clear, despite everything they had been told, Sheng was still hiding something. Maybe he and Sai were more alike than first established. Nonetheless, even with this in consideration, Sai still felt Ba Sing Se was the more logical option.

"Traveling to the Fire Nation for a building that has long been destroyed seems rather fruitless to me. I think our best bet would be the University, as it is obviously more likely to hold information seeing that it is.. well.. still standing. Remember that there is the possibility that someone or some group may be trying to race us for this information, and if anything we should seek out the most likely places first, in order to beat them at their own game.

Since they obviously have a head start, we can only hope that Appa is a much more efficient mode of transportation than whatever they are using."

Sai turned his golden gaze to the giant bison, which gave out a rough grunt at the sound of his name.

 

[HookerBoots]

The twins shared a sigh. This was going to be a tough decision, no matter what they picked. If Roku's temple and all it contained had been burnt to the ground - which Mother, Father, and Uncle Sokka had indicated was the case - it would be silly to go there. All they'd find was ash, and maybe not even that. Going to Ba Sing Se could take forever, and there was no guarantee they'd have what they wanted in the end.

And even though they both knew - thanks to Uncle Sokka's slip over dinner - that the Library of Spirits existed, and that it was in a desert, they had no idea how to find it, or even how to convince their companions that it was a real place and that they should go there. Besides, if there had been an account here, there had to be another one outside of the library, and they could find it. If they knew where to look.

Fumiko ran a hand through her hair and headed for the earth tent. "I'm going to change, so that we can get ready to go, wherever we decide, and I can ride the Unagi before we leave. Kiko, come with?"

They crouched down inside the tent, and Fumiko began to strip off her tunic and leggings quickly. "What do you think?"

"I think Sheng doesn't want to go to Ba Sing Se, and I think Sai doesn't want to go to the Fire Nation."

"Duh." She pulled out a few pieces of fabric that she had strung together to make a swimming costume - a bathing suit, she called it - and tied the top pieces on. "I meant what do you think we should do." The bottom part slid up her hips, and she adjusted the back of it before tugging on a clean pair of leggings.

Her sister looked at her with amusement, then sighed. "Ba Sing Se's our best bet, I think. And I also think we need to let Mother and Father know that something happened to the one scroll we needed here."

"Since we're sending a message anyway, yeah, let's put that in there as well." She grabbed a tunic from her things and tugged it over her head. "And I think you're right. Ba Sing Se."

They stepped out of the earth tent, and Fumiko sighed as she looked at Sheng. "We're going to head to Ba Sing Se. I'm sorry, Sheng, I know you'd rather not, but maybe we can get in and out without running into anyone you know."

 

[Armphid]

"I never said...yeah, okay." Sheng sighed. Was he really that easy to read? Of course, they weren't fools, and he had never been the most subtle person. And he knew well that it was probably the best shot they had. His feelings didn't make that untrue. "We'll see. There are lots of eyes in Ba Sing Se, even the walls watch sometimes."

"But, it's the best bet we have of finding a good lead. The University's full of scholars, and the library there and the Royal Library are exhaustive." Sheng could be calm about the situation now. Once they got closer, then it would really hit him. "I'm sure we'll find something there we can use." He forced a smile.

"So, I guess we should go and tell Lao-Tien what's up, right?" He glanced at Fumiko, "...So, are you...going to do it? She didn't talk you out of it, did she?"

 

[HookerBoots]

Fukiko sighed and turned her back, starting to pack up things.

"No, she didn't," Fumiko grinned. "But we should probably do that after we see Lao-Tien and get the hawks on their ways." She rolled her shoulders, shrugging. "And then we should probably head to Ba Sing Se. It's a long way, even from here, and the sooner we get going, the better."