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"I suppose the knowledge I have to offer is a woodbending scroll." At that, the Owl's eyes widened slightly.
"Truly? It has been some time since I heard of the woodbenders." Own spoke, taking the scroll.
"You know woodbenders?" Naruto couldn't help but ask.
"Indeed, your great grandfather. Hashirama has always been a friend of mine. You will always be welcome here, child." He nodded his head to Naruto before turning to fly down through the darkness below them.
Soon he returned, and he allowed the others to keep going except Naruto. "I Need to show you something." The Owl claimed, stopping Naruto from following his friends.
"What?"
"About your family and the reason you can firebend." The spirit claimed as it led Naruto away from his group; Naruto simply motioned for them to take whatever they were here to take as he followed the Owl Spirit from behind.
As they walked further into the library's depths, Naruto suddenly paused and turned to the spirit, his eyes alight with curiosity and excitement. "You know why I can firebend?" he asked eagerly, unable to contain his question any longer. It was a question that had been gnawing at him for some time now, and he was eager to hear the spirit's thoughts on the matter.
Despite hearing the question, the owl spirit didn't answer Naruto; instead, they came upon a majestic gate glimmering with an otherworldly glow. The gate was crafted entirely of pure gold, with intricate designs etched into its surface that seemed to shift and change as Naruto approached. But as he reached out to touch the gate, he realized it was locked tight, encircled by thick, gnarled branches that seemed to have grown around it over time.
"Hashirama came to the library a long time ago. He was one of the kind men. He was wise and knew how to solve my puzzle right away." The Owl Spirit spoke with a hint of melancholy and pride in his voice, not looking at Naruto.
"Puzzle?" Naruto asked, a little puzzled; the Owl hadn't given them any puzzles to solve when they got inside the library; he had simply sought knowledge from them.
"Yes, everyone who used to enter here before would need to solve a puzzle I would give them. If they solved it, they had the right to come here as many times as they wanted if they failed. Well, you saw the decorations on the wall." The Owl claimed; Naruto gulped slightly, remembering the faces of the creatures hanging on the wall of the library as if they were decorations.
"Why you changed it?" Naruto asked curiously, putting his arms behind his head.
The Owl Spirit had a thoughtful look on his face as if pondering whether to tell Naruto or not. Eventually, he decided to be honest with the great-grandson of the man he still considered a friend.
"A while ago, a firebender and a few of his men came into my library, seeking knowledge, they said. They knew the puzzle, and I allowed them entrance, but they burned the whole segment that is about the Fire Nation. I took revenge. All of his men didn't make it outside, but he made it out. After that day, I changed it, and you know the rest." The Spirit Owl explained all of this to me with a hint of anger in his voice before spreading his large wings, casting a gust of wind that moved away the dust that covered the door.
"This is it," the Spirit Owl said with a wise tone, his eyes fixated on the large golden door in front of them. "A door that can only be opened by Woodbending." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the door, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. The Spirit Owl's words echoed in his mind as he took a deep breath, his heart beating faster with every step he took toward the door.
As he approached the magnificent door made of gold, Naruto's hand slowly reached out and spread, his fingertips tracing the intricate vine and branch designs that adorned its surface. With a deep breath, he focused his energy, causing the branches to come alive and move away from the door, creating a path for him to enter.
The metallic sound of the door opening, which echoed throughout the entire library. The giant golden door, adorned with intricate designs and symbols, slowly creaked open, revealing a long-forgotten chamber. As the door swung open, a thick cloud of dust was dislodged, causing it to fall off the door in a mesmerizing cascade of glittering particles.
Once it opened, As Naruto cautiously entered the dimly lit chamber, he couldn't help but notice the endless rows of towering bookshelves that stretched towards the ceiling on either side of him. The musty scent of old parchment and leather filled his nostrils as he scanned the rows of books and scrolls, each one coated in a thick layer of spiderwebs and dirt that indicated that no one had set foot in this room for at least two centuries.
Despite the years of neglect, the books appeared to be in surprisingly good condition, their spines unbroken and their pages yellowed with age. His eyes were immediately drawn to the center, where a magnificent pedestal crafted out of fine wood stood. Its intricate designs and carvings were a testament to the skill of the craftsman who had created it.
Upon the pedestal, a book lay closed, its pages yellowed and brittle with age, and its once vibrant cover now concealed under a thick layer of dirt and spiderwebs. Despite its neglected appearance, the book seemed to emit a mysterious aura, as if it held secrets and knowledge that had been lost to time.
"What is all this?" As Naruto stepped inside, he couldn't help but question the peculiar surroundings of the large room before him. The wooden walls, floor, and ceiling exuded a rustic charm that made him feel like he had stepped back in time. The room was adorned with intricate carvings and etchings that seemed to tell their own story. As he walked further in, he noticed that the owl spirit was still at the doorframe, hesitant to follow him inside. The owl's piercing eyes seemed to survey the room as if it knew something Naruto didn't.
"The book should answer many of your questions," The Owl Spirit claimed, standing outside the room. As Naruto approached the book, his curiosity was piqued as he noted the thick layer of dust and cobwebs that had accumulated on its cover. Without hesitation, he reached out and gently brushed away the debris, revealing a stunning sight beneath - the cover was adorned with intricate designs that resembled the twisting vines of a great tree, winding their way up and around the edges of the book. Naruto couldn't help but marvel at the level of detail that had gone into the book's creation, and his attention was then drawn to the small keyhole that sat just beneath the title. It was clear that this was no ordinary book.
"Hashirama entrusted me with this key. Now that you're here, it's yours." With a graceful flick of its talons, the Owl Spirit threw the key towards Naruto, who reached out and caught it in midair, feeling the cool, smooth surface of the wood beneath his fingertips. He knew that this was no ordinary key - it was made of a special wood, one that was immune to blades and high temperatures, ensuring that whatever was written in the book would remain safe from harm.
As Naruto looked at the ancient book, his eyes scanned the intricate patterns etched into its cover, the faded gold lettering spelling out the title.
'The Spirits of Elements'
With a sense of anticipation, he carefully inserted the key into the keyhole, the satisfying sound of a click echoing through the silent room. As he lifted the book's cover, he was met with a sight that left him speechless; the pages were unlike any paper he had ever seen, a delicate material that felt like silk under his fingertips.
"Hashirama was a man of his word. He and Avatar Kyoshi were close. Hashirama entirely made the forest around Kyoshi Island." The Owl Explained with a hint of melancholy in his voice.
Naruto felt pride to hear that his great-grandfather had been such a good man; he eventually turned to face the owl spirit.
"What happened to him?" Naruto questioned firmly; he wondered if someone like Hashirama had died from old age; from the words he heard, the man had been strong.
"I'm not sure, I don't particularly know the details, but I know that one night he vanished and didn't return for five years." The Owl Spirit explained grimly; he remembered the day as if it were yesterday.
Avatar Kyoshi had almost destroyed the library in her rage when she had come to him looking for information about her husband's whereabouts.
"One Day, he returned back to us, but he was never the same. His eyes had changed color. They were mismatched, one green, one red-yellow, and his attitude changed, he still looked at things in a positive way, but he was more wary than usual." The Spirit Own spoke, remembering the day with a frown on his face.
"Hashirama died in his sleep at the age of 199. His children and grandchildren, well, some of them were able to Woodbend just like him, but they were never able to get even close to their grandfather's level, but you're the first that can Firebend as well." And perhaps Waterbend and Earthbend, but I'm not sure yet, The Owl Spirit thought, but he kept that part to himself.
Naruto listened to the Owl Spirit intently; he didn't know what to make of it yet; his eyes were still blue and had never changed color as far as he knew.
"How did Hashirama learn to Woodbend, and why is that something that not even the Avatar can learn?" Naruto questioned, something he had wondered for a very long time.
"That is something that even I don't know. I only know that Hashirama wasn't able to Woodbend from the very beginning. He learned how to on his many travels around the World." The Owl Spirit explained after a short pause, his voice full of wisdom.
Naruto would lie if he said he wasn't disappointed but accepted the answer. He wanted to learn everything, and most importantly, why his entire family died so suddenly except him.
"Hashirama founded this place, built this library with one purpose in mind," the owl explained, its voice resonating with a deep sense of reverence. "And that purpose was to capture the knowledge of generations past so that those who come after us may learn from their experiences and wisdom. Within these walls lie the answers to all of life's mysteries, waiting to be discovered by those who are willing to seek them out. And at the heart of it, all is this book, the personal journey of Hashirama himself, a testament to his dedication and his quest for knowledge." With that, the owl spread its wings and soared into the library, leaving Naruto to ponder the vastness of the library and the secrets that awaited him inside its pages.
Naruto turned his attention back to the book lying on his lap. He gently traced his fingers over the cover, feeling the rough texture beneath his touch before taking a deep breath and slowly opening the first page.
"The Legacy of Hashirama, the Woodbender, and The Spirit of the Forest, Gaia."
"Only a fellow Woodbender can go through the door. I created the room of spirits if the Spirit of Eternal Flame, Kagozanaki, ever returned. My name is Hashirama. My story began when I was 12 years old...."
Aang
After the weird Owl-looking spirit took Naruto away, the gang started searching for anything important to defeat the fire nation.
They spent the next hour perusing and going through the large collection of scrolls and books. Zei had quite the little book fort around himself while Aang was examining an image of an ancient lion turtle.
As Iroh gazed intently upon the strange drawing, his eyes fixated on the image of an enormous large tree that seemed to stretch infinitely towards the sky. His mind raced with wonder and amazement as he tried to imagine the sheer size of the majestic tree, estimating it to be around 200 meters tall. But it was not just the size of the tree that captured Iroh's attention - it was the striking image of a golden eye nestled at the very center of the tree.
Iroh delved further into his search for answers, his eyes scanned over several intricate drawings, each one more fascinating than the last. However, one particular sketch caught his attention - a mesmerizing portrayal of a humanoid figure crafted entirely of flames yet imprisoned behind a formidable cell. As he studied the drawing in greater detail, Iroh couldn't help but wonder about the story behind this mysterious being: who was he, and how did he come to be trapped in such a cell?
He walked a little further away to read a book, and Iroh let out a sigh of relief before pulling the scroll up.
Life Force of Azrita Zuras.
Iroh opened it up to reveal exactly what he had expected. It was full of information explaining the short life expectancies of spirit warriors and some early deaths caused by the spirit merging.
Iroh considered burning the scroll before merely shaking his head and hiding it in the very back, behind other books where it wouldn't be easily found. It wasn't time to dig into that issue quite yet.
"Where are we going?" Iroh asked the water Bender Katara.
"Sokka found something about the fire nation's 'darkest day.' We're gonna check it out." She explained with an excited grin. Iroh just nodded, a slight frown on his face. Well, Iroh, suppose this is why they came here. Iroh was hoping Wan Shi Tong would forgive them later.
"The stuff on the fire nation should be through here!" Sokka announced as they approached a doorway with the nation's flag above the threshold. The powerful smell of ash reached his nose as they walked through, and Iroh stared in dismay at the burnt remnants that lay there.
"So this is what the big Owl was talking about. It's probably why he doesn't let humans in here anymore." Iroh stated as he crossed his arms.
"Fire nation..." Aang sighed out, his head hanging. Sokka took in the scene slowly before collapsing to his knees.
"No, that's so unfair! Just when I think we're about to discover something turns out they beat us here a long time ago...I need to know what happened on the fire nation's darkest day." They all stood around in silence before a little chirp drew their attention back to the doorway. Standing there, on two legs, was one of the spirit foxes.
"Uh...hi, little fox thingy?" Sokka greeted hesitantly. Iroh wonders if this fox guy is going to rat them out. The creature whined at them a little before turning and doing a little point stance with his body.
"I think he's trying to help? Either that or he's kicking us out."
The fox almost seemed to roll its eyes at Iroh for that before slowly beginning to walk away, whining at them once more.
"It seems we need to follow him." They ran after the fox as it led them back toward the main atrium and through a different set of hallways.
There was so much stuff in the library. It would take someone four lifetimes before they could even scratch the surface. They slowed to a stop in front of the biggest door Iroh had ever seen in his life. It was gold and had a flower design etched into the front.
Their little fox friend disappeared into a small hole near the doorway. There was a second of silence before the entire thing groaned as the door slid away to reveal the fox standing in a large, dark room with a circular table in the center and a lever beside it. They all walked in as the fox ran up and lifted its paws onto the lever, leaning forward to trigger it. Wow, this was the smartest fox ever.
Instantly the entire room shifted. The ceiling shifted as a moving frame of the night sky slid into place. The stars constantly moved as a bar with the moon slid over the sky.
"This room is a true marvel, a mechanical wonder! It's a planetarium that shows the heavens moving!" Zei exclaimed in excitement as he grasped his head. As he spoke, the ceiling shifted again, turning to day with a metal bar with the sun in place.
"Uh, this is beautiful, but how is it helpful?" Sokka questioned as he stared up. Katara grabbed her chin in thought as she walked up to the circular table. Multiple circular dials lay on top with dates.
"Maybe we can use these dates to find something. Sokka, enter in the date that was on the parchment you took." She pointed at his bag.
"Shh! Katara, not in front of the fox. He's with the owl!" Sokka loudly whispered, holding his bag protectively. The fox just whined. Iroh walked over and patted his head.
"It's okay, boy. I like you." Iroh smiled down at him. He was honestly so cute. Sokka pulled the parchment from his bag, glancing at the date before proceeding to adjust the dials accordingly.
He walked over to the lever once he was finished and pulled. The ceiling shifted once more, turning to night and then day.
"Wow, I gotta hand it to you, Sokka. You picked the best mini vacation for sure." Aang said as he smiled appreciatively at the sky. It was pretty cool. Suddenly the room darkened, though it was still on 'day.'
"Hey, wait, what happened to the sun?" Katara questioned as they all looked up. The sundial was hidden behind the moon dial, completely covered.
"Great, you must've broken it," Aang grumbled out, frowning at it.
"No, it's not broken. The sun is completely behind the moon...it's a solar eclipse! It's literally the darkest day in fire nation history. Now I get it! Something awful happened that day. I don't know what, but I do know why. Fire benders lose their bending on the solar eclipse!" Sokka yelled out excitedly, turning to grasp Aang's shoulders and shake him enthusiastically.
Iroh caught Aang as he fell back from Sokka's abuse. He smiled at him gratefully as Katara stepped forward.
"That makes sense! I mean, think about what happened to the water benders on the lunar eclipse. This is huge." She whispered in awe. Iroh nodded, though less excitedly.
"Yup, sooo excited to lose my bending. But, it would be a good time to hit the fire nation." The fox who led them here whined at them, walking up and leaning on its back paws with its arms up in a begging motion.
"Fine, you've earned it." Sokka smiled as he reached into his bag and tossed out a small treat they usually reserved for Momo. The fox chomped it out of the air before running away contentedly.
"We've got to get this information to the earth king in Ba Sing Se. We'll wait for the next eclipse. Then we'll invade the fire nation when they're totally helpless. Firelord is going down!" It was a rousing speech and all that, but it was hard to focus on Sokka's words when Iroh noticed the enormous and terrifying figure standing right behind him.
"Mortals are so predictable and such terrible liars." The giant Owl himself ground out as he glared down at them.
They thought the spirit owl was done, but instead, he looked at the door; everyone turned around to see Naruto standing nonchalantly, leaning against the wooden doorframe, his hands wrapped tightly around a bag filled with an assortment of books and scrolls.
However, the object that truly caught the attention of Katara was the necklace that hung around his neck. It was a remarkable piece of jewelry adorned with a strange green stone that shimmered and glowed as if it held some sort of mystical power. The light from the stone danced across the room, casting an ethereal glow that seemed to captivate everyone in its presence.
"Grandson of Hashirama, tell me, did you know their intentions?" The Spirit Owl demanded as he gazed down at Naruto, a part of him knew Naruto must have known but asked nonetheless. The blonde, who had a sorrowful look on his face, slowly nodded his head.
"I did."
"You've betrayed my trust. From the beginning, you intended to misuse this knowledge for evil purposes." The Owl spoke, glaring at everyone.
"You don't understand. If anyone's evil, it's the fire nation! They're evil and destructive. You saw what they did to your library! We need this information." Sokka announced with determination.
"You believe you're the first person to believe their war is justified? Countless others have come here seeking weapons, weaknesses, or battle strategies." Wan Shi Tong stated. It was pretty accurate, but some wars are necessary.
"We had no choice! Please, we're just desperate to protect the ones we love." Aang stared up at him with wide eyes. The Owl just glared before turning towards Naruto.
"And you, your grandfather, would be disappointed with you. He was a man of peace—a man who helped. I thought you would understand my desire to protect my knowledge from the hands of those who would use it for violence. Hashirama believed in a world of peace. You're spitting on his corpse." He stared down his beak at Naruto.
"I understand, but that's why we need this information, to stop the fire nation and end the cycle of needless battles. Otherwise, the war will continue forever, and countless people will die! I understand it might be harsh, but sometimes there's simply no other choice. This is not some story where you can convince someone not to do bad by simply saying a few words." Naruto stood his ground. This wasn't something he wanted to do, but it was something they needed to do.
The Spirit Owl looked down at Naruto with a hint of recognition. "You have his eyes and his determination. Hmph, you want to protect the ones you love? Well, now I am going to protect what I love." He opened up his ginormous wings and began flapping. Naruto covered his face with his arm as gusts of wind began pushing against all of them.
"What are you doing?!" Aang yelled over the winds. The flapping grew more vigorous.
"I'm taking my knowledge back. No one will ever abuse it again." He stated with finality. Sand began leaking through the ceiling as the whole building began to shake.
"He's sinking the building! We need to get out of here!" Katara announced as they all turned towards the exit.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that. You already know too much." Wan Shi Tong proceeded to turn into the weirdest owl/dragon thing, which was also the scariest thing they had ever seen. His neck elongated, and points formed atop his feathered head. He sprouted a long tail, and with his wings opened, they now had a lovely look at his very sharp talons.
He suddenly snapped at them with his beak, his long neck allowing him to reach them easily. Naruto dove to the side. His beak cracked into the ground he had just been standing on.
"C'mon c'mon, we gotta go!" Katara yelled at everyone as she grabbed his arm, and they all booked it towards the rope they had entered on. Naruto cursed that there was no ground around him; he would have used woodbending to restrain him as they escaped.
They ran back through the library, searching for the exit to the surface with the demon owl on their tails. Naruto glanced behind, and he gaped as he saw Professor Zei standing in the middle of a bridge behind them, holding a stack of books and staring the Owl down.
"Oh, great knowledge spirit! Please don't destroy your countless tomes!" Really?! He was pleading for the lives of some books?! Aang quickly stepped in, manipulating the air around the professor and pulling him back towards the group just as the Owl's beak struck and missed.
With a grunt, Aang swept his staff back at the Owl, sending a wave of wind that knocked him off balance and sent him hurtling down deeper into the library.
"Cry about books later. Run now!" Naruto pulled the man to his feet before turning to continue the run. This time Sokka stood still. Naruto groaned.
"Sokka, we need to go before we end up like the stuffed animals on his wall!" Naruto growled out. He just shook his head.
"No, if we leave now, we'll never know when the next eclipse will be." He stood his ground.
"We can figure it out later!" Katara argued. Naruto nodded in agreement.
"I'm sure there'll be a book or something we can find," Iroh added with a shrug. Sokka just shook his head again.
"But what if there's not? I can't waste this chance. Aang is coming with me. I'll need some cover. Katara, get Naruto and Iroh out of here!" He ordered as Aang hesitantly walked over to join his side.
"Good luck! Don't die! Spirit Owl, We Are Right Here." Naruto shouted over his shoulder. Suddenly the bookshelf beside them exploded as Wan Shi Tong screeched at them. Naruto yelped and dodged the stones before increasing their running speed.
The professor dove to the side, separating from them as the owl dove at top speeds.
They jumped apart as a black tail suddenly slammed between them and locked eyes for a second before running in opposite directions. Naruto glanced behind him as he rounded a bookshelf and saw that he was pursuing Katara instead.
The crashing noises died down as Naruto quietly ran behind him, and he slowed to a walk, looking around for Katara and Momo. Naruto peeked through an adjacent bookshelf as his eyes darted around before suddenly locking onto a little striped tail. Naruto smacked his forehead quietly. Really Momo?
"At least I'll have one specimen to add to my collection." Shi Tong stated before launching himself at them. Naruto pushed fire from his limbs, sending him up and over the bookshelf.
"Not so fast!" Spinning in the air Naruto sent a fire-powered kick at the Owl's face, connecting and sending him sprawling backward and into more bookshelves. That wouldn't keep him down for long.
Katara and Naruto ran as fast as they could away from the fallen creature. Just as he expected, he was quickly back on their heels and making a terrifying serpentine motion through the bookshelves.
"Katara, there!" Naruto gasped, pointing at the rope that was dangling from the ceiling. They skid on the floor as they quickly changed their route and ran up to the rope just as the Owl caught up to them.
There was no way they could climb up with him right there. They turned around to face him.
"Your water bending won't do you any good here. I've studied Southern style, northern style, and even Swamp style. And your tricks won't work twice on me now, Naruto." He growled out, slowly approaching them.
Suddenly Sokka descended from the sky, dropped by Aang, and slammed a book on the top of Wan Shi Tong's head, knocking him out instantly.
"That's called Sokka style. Learn it!" He gloated victoriously, staring at the fallen spirit. Naruto followed the idiot as they ran up and used the spirit as a staircase to grab onto the rope. Katara pushed him to climb ahead of her, and Naruto followed Sokka's example, grabbing on tightly and beginning to ascend. Iroh followed them behind.
"Wait, Professor! Let's go!" Sokka yelled, looking at the man. Naruto looked down below and saw him just sitting calmly, surrounded by books, as sand began to pile up beside him.
"I'm not leaving. I can't! I've spent too long searching for this place. There's not another collection of knowledge like it on earth. I could spend an eternity in here." He smiled peacefully. Naruto glared at him.
"You'll die in here! What good is knowledge if you die before you can even learn anything?!" Naruto yelled at him. What was the point? The Professor just smiled at him, making him even more upset. Katara shoved him from below.
"Just go! We can't convince him." She said regretfully, urging him forward. Naruto gave the professor one last look before beginning to continue upwards. The blonde was sure he would never be able to understand his choice, but he couldn't stop him.
The rope suddenly shook around violently. Naruto looked below and saw that Wan Shi Tong had woken up and grabbed the rope with his beak, whipping it around.
Naruto held on tightly as the rope dislodged, and they all began to fall. Even if he could get them to land safely, there would be no point; they'd be killed.
"Aang!" Naruto screamed out as the ground approached. Just as he had shouted, he felt a tug on the rope, and his arms nearly ripped out of their sockets as Aang began to carry them up and out of the tower with his glider.
Katara yelped as the Owl nipped below her, and Naruto grimaced as a rock slapped him in the face from above. The exit window grew closer and closer before they were finally launched from the building. Aang landed roughly into the sand, which meant crash landings for him and his friends.
Naruto grunted as he slammed into Sokka's stomach, and he just let out a whine. "Sorry..." Naruto muttered out. A big crash sounded behind them, and a gust of sand blew by his face as the library suddenly finished its descent, and Toph fell onto her backside. Zuko was standing beside her; strangely, his swords were out.
Naruto slowly rose, rubbing his head as they all stood. Where the library once stood was a circular crater in the sand. Toph sat right by it, huffing and shaking her hands out. It was obvious the delayed sinking was thanks to her.
"We got it! There's a solar eclipse coming! The fire nation's in trouble now!" Sokka grabbed Katara and Naruto and pulled them into a group hug while jumping excitedly. Naruto smiled and hugged him back. It did feel like they came out on top for once. Naruto turned back towards Toph, running up and kneeling next to her.
"Thanks for the assist Toph. Pretty sure we'd be buried alive if it weren't for you." Naruto smiled as he patted her shoulder. Naruto was surprised when Toph suddenly wrapped her arms around him tightly, unwilling to let go. He could see the small smile on her face, but it was the warmth in her voice that really caught his attention.
"You're all back," she exclaimed happily, her grip on his arm tightening. As they stood up together, Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort in Toph's embrace.
"What happened here?" Iroh questioned with a furrowed brow, looking at Zuko while pointing the finger at the unconscious bodies littering the sand of Sandbenders around Appa, who approached them with a bright smile, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as if he had just played a prank.
"They tried to steal the big hairball. I-I protected it." Zuko spoke almost hesitantly, looking away as everyone from the group looked at him with gratitude; even Naruto was surprised. He had thought the Prince would ignore Appa instead of helping.
"Zuko, thank you. Your help to protect Appa means more to me than you can imagine." Zuko, who was standing next to Aang, rolled his eyes and breathed a small sigh of relief. He was glad that he had been able to assist Appa, but he was also hoping that Aang wouldn't try to hug him or do something equally as embarrassing.
Zuko was about to tell everyone to hop on and leave, but the sky bison began to march towards him, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in anticipation of the fun. Despite Zuko's protests and pleas for mercy, Appa paid him no heed and began to lick his entire body with an enthusiasm that was both impressive and terrifying. As the rest of the group looked on, they couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the normally stoic prince being reduced to a giggling, squirming mess under the relentless onslaught of Appa's tongue.
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