The initiation into the white lotus took almost the entire night with Zuko learning the rituals, speech and how to initiate a meeting through playing the white lotus gambit. After the pleasantries were out of the way, Iroh and the other masters discussed getting passports for the entirety of team avatar to go into Ba Sing Sei. By the time they actually exit the meeting, dawn is already rising over the desert and the tiny oasis village they're staying at. The two firebenders head over to the stables expecting to find the rest of the group ready to go find this library that Sokka wanted to go to. Instead they find Aang fast asleep on Appa's tail while Professor Zei sits leaned up against Appa's belly writing scroll after scrolls worth of notes regarding his interactions with Aang and Appa. "So much for leaving early this morning." Zuko says before looking at the professor. "Why are you two out here? Isn't the tavern also an Inn?"

"Sand benders were harassing the sky bison after we left the tavern, Sifu Aang said he was going to stay out here in case they came back. I figured I'd join him and learn as much as I can about this magnificent creature." Professor Zei responds. "The other members of your traveling party are at the Inn."

"Ok, we might not need to wait until tonight to look for the library, if we fly high enough the temperature won't be a problem. Not to mention, since I'm the firebending Avatar I can control the ambient heat in the desert to keep us cool." Zuko responds. "I don't believe that I introduced myself."

"Neither have I." Professor Zei says as he gets to his feet and sets his stuff down on the ground. "Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Sei university." He says offering to shake Zuko's hand to which the prince accepts the gesture.

"Avatar Lee." Zuko responds, "This is... my father. Mushi. We were both banished from Yu Dao after it was discovered that I was the avatar." This statement from Zuko surprises Iroh at first, his nephew referring to him as his father for the first time warms his heart... until he then says his name is Mushi which slightly irks him.

"It's a pleasure to be traveling with you then." Professor Zei greets humbly. "Could I treat you to some tea while we wait?"

"Of course." Iroh says before he climbs up Appa's side to get to his pouch before producing his brass teapot. "Do you need sugar or honey? We have both."

"Honey would be excellent." Professor Zei says as Zuko takes a seat leaning against Appa. Iroh slides off the side of the bison, stumbling as he hits the ground and letting out a pained groan as he topples over.

The dark purples and blues begin to give way as the sun begins to rise over the Shi Wong desert. The conversation with Professor Zei had woken Aang from his sleep, but he wasn't mad to be woken up to the smell of tea and a pleasant conversation. The conversation leads into the mid morning by the time Katara, Sokka, Toph and Yue finally leave the Inn. By this point Zuko and Aang had begun to play a game of Pai Sho while Iroh coaches on the side. The master and student snack on dried fruits and sip their tea as the game progresses, Aang patiently waiting for Zuko to move a tile, he ends up being distracted allowing Zuko to capture Aang's white lotus tile with his own orchid tile. When he looks back, Aang gives Zuko a squinted sneer much to the firebender's amusement as Aang had just lost. Aang isn't a sore loser though, while he feigns being annoyed the fake look on his face quickly fades and is replaced with his typical smile. "Seems you guys are having fun? Everything ready to go?" Sokka asks as he comes to a stop just at Zuko's feet. The avatar looked up at the warrior before nodding. "What was with that meeting last night anyways?" Sokka asks as Zuko reaches over and begins collecting all of the Pai sho tiles. "Just catching up with an old friend." Iroh responds, while Sokka is skeptical of this response, he doesn't press the topic much further. "Now, I believe we have a bit of an adventure to go on. Let's pack everything up and go find this library I've heard so much about."

Having been awake for most of the night, Zuko elects to take a nap while the others search for the library. Iroh however has been drinking tea nonstop since the previous evening and is wide awake, electing to take over Zuko's position as a lookout. The young firebender lays back against the rolled tents and bags in the back of Appa's saddle and rests an arm across his eyes quickly drifting off to sleep. As sleep takes him he begins to see the familiar shores of Ember Island where he and Lu Ten would spend time when he was little. His dreams take him back to the first time he and his parents had gone to the island together. His mother was pregnant with Azula at the time, and his father was actually happy. Ozai's face was filled with pride as he held Zuko's hands as he learned to swim. It wasn't until after Azula was born did things change. However those painful memories can stay buried, as Zuko's dreams focus on that day at the beach. Even at just two years old, some of the signs he is the avatar were beginning to show. "It's remarkable how fast you're learning to swim Zuko. I hope that you will learn firebending just as fast, my son." It was one of the rare occasions that his father actually spoke kindly or even pridefully towards him.

Shortly after Azula was born, Zuko began firebending and the moment he was able to, his father began training him. His training was easy at first, going through the breathing techniques, controlling the heat in the air and then the martial arts that form the basis of firebending. "Now, you need to breathe and focus. Breathing fuels your inner flame, but anger, anger is your strength. Focus, breathe and think about what makes you the angriest." Ozai explained as he stood in the garden in front of his son. Zuko stands in a wide horse stance with his arms tucked by his sides with his eyes closed and breathing deeply. While only 3 years old at the time, he doesn't have much anger to him, but the chef denying him sweets for lunch was enough of a catalyst for him to firebend for the first time. He stomps a foot forwards and then throws the hardest punch a three year old can manage, launching a blast of fire right out at his father. Ozai didn't expect the amount of power the young Avatar could output, and was caught completely off guard by the fireball that was bigger than Zuko himself. At first, his face was wrought with fear of the flames in front of him, it was quickly replaced by a prideful and evil smile as he extended a hand and stopped the flames. Feeling the heat and power wash over his hand, and then he felt actual pain much worse than what he was expecting as well. Ozai had suffered second degree burns on his arm and had clutched his arm in pain, before instinctively plunging it into the pond to eb the pain. What happened next changed how father and son viewed each other. Zuko cried, he cried about hurting his father, and tried to make sure he was okay. The sight of empathy in his son disgusted Ozai, and from then on things were...

"THERE IT IS!!!" The shrill voice of Toph causes Zuko to jerk away and then sit upright ready to fight. His fists clenched and two flame daggers being produced from his palms. "Woah, calm down sparky." Toph says feeling the heat and the slight growl Zuko let out upon being awoken. "See, that's what it will sound like when one of you spots it." She says turning to face the direction of the others then waving her hand in front of her eyes a few times.

"Way to play Boy who cried wolfbat, Toph." Zuko says before laying back down, but he isn't given very long to get back to sleep.

"Hey, what's that?" Sokka says, looking through the eyepiece of his telescope. "Aang, take us down, let's check it out." He says prompting Aang to flick Appa's reigns prompting the sky bison to begin to descend.

Emerging from the golden expanse of the Shi Wong Desert, the spire stands as a lonely and enigmatic relic, its pale, weathered stone contrasting starkly with the surrounding sands. The structure's cylindrical shape is adorned with intricate carvings spiraling upwards towards the peak. At its summit, the spire is framed by a flared witch hat style roof with intricately carved owls lining the shingled cap. "You sure this is the place Sokka?" Yue asks as she slides off the back of Appa and walks up to him. The intense heat of the desert has caused the two of them to shed their outer layers. Sokka is standing shirtless in his shorts with his shirt tied into a hat, Yue is similarly shirtless with only her white bra covering her torso, she had created a sun hat with her shirt, covering most of her head and body with shade. Katara had elected to stand next to Aang who's manipulating the temperature of the air around him with his bending. Sokka goes to answer Yue but is distracted by the sound of an animal. He and Zuko look up one of the sand dunes nestling the spire and are greeted with the sight of a desert fox. This fox stands against the heat with a dust covered scroll tube in its mouth. It pays little attention to them, instead it sprints down the side of the hill then up the vertical spire and through a window.

"That looks like one of the knowledge seekers you talked about, Professor." Aang says as Sokka pulls out the drawing of the library once more.

"Wait... this spire is the library." He says as he looks from his drawing to the spire itself. "It's completely buried."

"Well... good thing I'm also an archeologist." Professor Zei says as he sets down his backpack and pulls out a small hand trowel that's far too small for a job like this.

"Doing that you'll be here until the next time I come back as a firebender." Zuko says as he snatches the trowel from Professor Zei. "Get some rope out of your bag, I'm going to jump up there and anchor it to something." After telling Zei to do this, he hands the trowel back to him.

"You going to come too Toph?" Sokka asks as Zuko grabs the rope from Zei then takes a few steps back and sprints towards the spire.

"I've held books before." She says, facing the opposite direction of where Sokka is. "They don't really interest me."

"Oh... right. Sorry Toph." Sokka apologizes.

"If they have anything you could listen to, keep me in mind." She says before punching him on the shoulder.

Above them, Zuko uses his earthbending to immure the rope into the stone wall to anchor it in place. Once it's set he gives it a few hard tugs before putting his full weight on it. "Alright, ropes set." He says, calling down to the others prompting Sokka to grab the rope then walk his way up the spire shortly followed by Yue, Aang, Katara, the professor and lastly Iroh. As the professor gets to the window, he hands Zuko another rope, this one much much longer than the first one, the avatar quickly does the same in bending the earth over the rope and anchoring it to the spire's walls. He drops it below them watching as the rope hits one of the pathways dozens of feet below before giving it a good hard tug once again. However, just as he is about to set his weight into it his uncle grunts slightly. "Oof." Iroh says as his belly gets caught around the entrance to the window. "I can't seem to get... through this window." He grunts, straining himself as he tries to wedge his arms into the window. Zuko lifts a hand ready to force the window open wider but professor Zei stops him. "Wait. Don't damage the structure, this is a priceless historical sight and we must preserve it." He pleads, causing Zuko to sigh in frustration. "It's fine Lee, I'll stay out here with Toph besides. I think she'll enjoy my company more than just Appa's." Iroh says, and with a slight shove, Aang frees him from the window frame so he can descend back down the spire.

As they slowly slide down the rope into the library, the sheer scale of the structure is finally laid bare. Miles and miles of winding bookcases, displays, scroll holders and paintings run on almost endlessly into the dimly lit structure. Zuko's iron boots hit the sandstone pathway causing a thud to echo into the deathly silent library. Sokka soon follows as well before helping his wife and then his sister off the rope. As Professor Zei lets go of the rope, the group hear large footsteps approaching them. Aang is the first to book it towards one of the owl carved pillars, pushing Professor Zei along as he does so. Zuko and the others are quick to follow, finding different pillars to hide behind as the footsteps draw nearer. The heavy footsteps suddenly come to a stop and Zuko can see a long tall shadow covering the path they were just on. "I know you're back there..." A loud booming voice echoes through the library causing Yue to hitch a breath in fear. Zuko pears out from the side of the pillar he's hiding behind and catches a glimpse of a massive creature standing on the pathway. Almost 20 feet tall cloaked in black feathers with two eye markings on the back of it's head. The creature's head does a full 360 degree turn as it pans the surrounding pillars looking for the intruders.

"I-I'm sorry to disturb you, great knowledge spirit. I am Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se university." Zei introduces as he rushes out from the pillar he was behind. "Forgive me for hiding, great spirit, you had scared me."

"It would be wise if you left the way you came, Human. Unless you want to become Stuffed head of anthropology." The massive owl speaks, its white face and black beady eyes peering into Zei's soul.

"Are you, Wan Shi Tong?" Zuko asks, deciding to go and help Professor Zei in case things turn hostile.

"Indeed. I am he, He who knows ten thousand things, and I know who you are. Prince, Avatar Zuko." Wan Shi Tong says as he turns his attention to Zuko himself. "While I will permit you to be in my library as you and the avatar spirit are one in the same, the other humans are no longer welcome in my study."

"What? Why's that? We haven't damaged anything, the most Zuko did was shift the wall at the top of the spire to anchor our rope. We'll fix it when we leave." Sokka says as he approaches alongside Yue.

"This is interesting. I never expected to see the Horcrux of the Moon Spirit in my presence." Wan Shi Tong says before turning to face Sokka. "Humans only seek my knowledge in order to destroy other humans or destroy my things. A few years ago a firebender found my library and destroyed my collection on the firenation. I should have devoured him when I had the chance. So, I ask you. Who are you trying to destroy?"

"W-what? We-we're not gonna destroy anyone... we're just here for uhh... knowledge's sake." Sokka lies.

"The Firenation." Zuko answers bluntly. "For the crimes of Genocide." Sokka face palms when Zuko says this, but Wan Shi Tong's eyes narrow.

"Genocide?" Wan Shi Tong asks, echoing Zuko's last word. "Humans have really stuped so low haven't they? Like that brute Chin the Conqueror. He had attempted to genocide the sand benders and they sought refuge in my library long ago."

"Firelord Sozin massacred the air nomads using the great comet because he was afraid of me. He knew that the avatar was the only person who could stop him so he murdered all of them, destroyed their scrolls, teachings... all of their knowledge." Zuko explains, and the giant owl remains silent. "I am here because we need a means to prevent that from happening again."

"All of the waterbenders at the south pole were wiped out because of the firenation. I'm the only waterbender in the entire south pole." Katara adds. "So please, I know you don't care for humans but you could help us prevent more knowledge from being destroyed."

"This would explain why I have learned nothing since the air nomads have disappeared." Wan Shi Tong responds before pausing a moment in thought. "What do you have to offer me in exchange for the knowledge you seek?" He asks.

"I can give you the sum knowledge of all my past lives that were born in the Firenation. All that I know, All that Roku knows, All that Szeto knows and so on." Zuko says, "It may be only a fraction of what you've lost but it may be able to replace some of it." Wan Shi Tong remains silent once again, contemplating this for a few brief moments.

"Very well. I will allow you to use my knowledge to aid your cause. If only to prevent the destruction of more knowledge. I know of an event that survived that brute's attack on my collection. It is a small parchment in a glass cover detailing the darkest day in the history of the firenation. On it is a date, and that date details a great loss in battle due to a Solar Eclipse. If you wish to see for yourself, I have an observatory within my collection." The great owl speaks, which prompts Aang, Katara, Sokka and Yue to run off to find this part of the library. "What of you, Professor Zei? Why are you here at my library?"

"I have read stories of your collection for my entire life, and have dedicated it to finding this wondrous place. I am truly here for knowledge." Professor Zei says as he pulls out a large tome from his bag. "This is my dissertation and my first book. It would be a great honor for you to include it in you library."

"Thank you for your contribution." Wan Shi Tong says as he moves one of his large wings and takes the book from him. "I believe it is time for you to hold up your end of our agreement, Avatar Zuko."

From across the halls, Aang watches as dozens of knowledge seeker foxes make their way over to Zuko. He watches the avatar put his hands together for a moment then suddenly explodes into a tornado of fire that spins around him for a few moments. When it dissipates, standing where Zuko once stood is the white haired and bearded form of Avatar Roku who bows to the great knowledge spirit upon greeting him. "C'mon Aang, let's go find the observatory." Katara says as she rushes over and grabs his hand to pull him away. Part of Aang is a bit sad that Zuko didn't summon Fa Yen, but he now realizes he could ask him to speak to her again.