Chapter 6

Today we met this professor of anthropology who was looking for this legendary library. It’s supposed to have more books than any other in the world. Sokka thought that it might have a map of the Fire Nation, or just some information that would be helpful. So we decided to go with him to find the library. When we found the library, Sokka, Katara, the professor, Momo, and I went inside while Toph waited outside with Appa.

Inside, Sokka made an amazing discovery—Firebenders lose their power during a solar eclipse because the sun is covered up! Then we were able to calculate the date of the next solar eclipse using this incredible calendar.

“If we attack the Fire Nation on that date, they’ll be helpless,” cried Sokka. “We’ve got to get this info to the Earth King at Ba Sing Se!”

Unfortunately the spirit of the library overheard Sokka, and he was so angry that we were using his knowledge for our own purposes that he decided to sink the library into the desert to keep its knowledge from humans.

The professor decided to stay, surrounded by all the world’s knowledge, but thankfully Sokka, Katara, and I got out just as the library disappeared into the sand.

We’re finally outside. Phew! But the strange thing is, I can’t see Appa anywhere. There’s Toph. … Where could he have gone? And why does Toph look so serious?

“Where’s Appa?” She’s not responding. … That’s a bad sign.

“Toph, what happened?” Oh, no! I have this horrible sinking feeling rising from the pit of my stomach. “Where’s Appa?”

I listened in horror as Toph told me that when the library started sinking, she used all her Earthbending abilities to hold it up until we got out. While she was doing that, a group of Sandbenders kidnapped Appa and took him away.

I feel like a piece of my own body has just been ripped out. I can’t remember a time in my life when Appa wasn’t by my side. And now he’s gone! Gone!

“How could you let them take Appa!” I don’t care if she’s my Earthbending teacher. I just want Appa back! “Why didn’t you stop them?”

“I couldn’t,” she replied weakly. “The library was sinking, and you guys were still inside. I would have lost all of you if I stopped to save Appa. I can hardly feel any vibrations out here in the sand. The Sandbenders snuck up on me and I didn’t have time to—”

“You just didn’t care! You never liked Appa! You wanted him gone!”

Enough excuses! I can’t believe this—what if I never get him back?

Then Katara stepped between us. “Aang, stop it! You know Toph did all she could. She saved our lives!”

Now Katara’s turned against me! This is just too much. “That’s all any of you guys care about—yourselves! You don’t care if Appa is okay!”

I’ve never felt more alone. My lifelong buddy is gone. My friends have all turned on me. It’s obvious I’m not going to get any help. I’m going to have to find Appa myself.

“I’m going after Appa.” I whipped open my glider. Then I turned to Toph. “Which direction did they go?”

Toph shrugged and pointed. I looked at the ground and saw a trail left by the sand sailer the Sandbenders must have been riding.

“I’ll be back when I find him.” Then I leaped into the sky.

I’m so upset, I could cry. I don’t know what I’ll do if he’s really gone. How can your best friend in the whole world be there one second and then just be gone the next? It doesn’t make any sense. Come on, Aang. Keep looking. Find him!

I followed the tracks for a little while, but soon they were wiped away by the desert winds. I flew over the desert for hours, searching in every direction, but it was no use.

I glided to a landing back where the library was, and Katara came over and placed her hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Aang. I know it’s hard for you right now, but we need to focus on getting out of here.”

I don’t feel like focusing on anything but Appa. Nothing matters at all. Not my friends, not being the Avatar, not saving the world. Not even getting out of this desert alive. “What’s the difference? We won’t survive without Appa. We all know it.”

Katara kept trying to cheer me up, but I was barely listening. People call me the last Airbender, but that’s not really true. Appa was—is—an Airbender too. Nobody, not even Katara, understands him the way I do. To everyone else he’s just a big furry animal. But I know that he’s a special being, as close to me as any of my human friends.

Suddenly Katara grabbed my hand and pulled me up to my feet.

“Aang, get up. We’re getting out of this desert.”

She seems really adamant about leaving. I really don’t care either way. Without Appa, nothing matters.

Katara decided that it would be better if we rested during the day and traveled at night, using the stars to navigate our way to Ba Sing Se. As we walked, Toph stubbed her toes on something in the sand. It turned out to be a sand sailer.

“It’s got a compass on it,” Katara said excitedly. “Aang, if you can bend a breeze, we can sail to Ba Sing Se. We’re going to make it!”

I felt a little better that we weren’t all going to die out there. But not much. I used my Airbending to power the sail and we glided across the desert until all of a sudden, we were attacked by buzzard-wasps. Then, out of nowhere, a huge sandstorm rose up, blowing the creatures away. When the storm died down, we saw that a group of Sandbenders had whipped up the storm to save us.

But I’m in no mood to say thanks. It was Sandbenders who took Appa. …

“What are you doing in our land with what looks like a stolen sand sailer?” the leader of the Sandbenders demanded.

“We’re traveling with the Avatar. Our bison was stolen and we have to get to Ba Sing Se,” Katara replied. “We found the sailer abandoned in the desert.”

“You dare accuse our people of theft when you ride in a stolen sand sailer?” yelled a younger Sandbender angrily.

“Quiet, Ghashiun!” an older man shouted. “No one accused our people of anything!”

“Sorry, Father,” Ghashiun said, stepping back.

Toph leaned in close to me. “I recognize the son’s voice, and I never forget a voice,” she whispered. “He’s the one who stole Appa.”

I rushed toward Ghashiun, my anger rising quickly. “You stole Appa!” I shouted, boiling with rage. “Where is he? What did you do to him?”

“They’re lying!” Ghashiun cried. “They’re the thieves!”

These people are going to tell me where Appa is or pay a heavy price! I’ll show them how serious I am with a massive Airbending blast to one of their sand sailers—

BAM!

It shattered into splinters. The Sandbenders backed away, stunned.

“Where is my bison?”

“It wasn’t me!” Ghashiun cried.

“You said to put a muzzle on him!” Toph shouted.

“You muzzled Appa?!” I can barely control myself. The thought of it makes me want to scream!

I fired an Airbending blast at another sand sailer, then turned my sights on the Sandbenders themselves. Usually the thought of fighting another person is against everything I believe in, against everything the monks taught me. I’m sorry, but I can’t control myself from using force against these people. …

“I’m sorry!” Ghashiun cried. “I didn’t know it belonged to the Avatar!”

“Tell me where Appa is!”

“I traded him to some nomads. He’s probably in Ba Sing Se by now. They were going to sell him there.”

Appa for sale, like some piece of meat? I can’t take it anymore. I’m so angry, I could … I could …

My anger overcame me and I slipped into the Avatar state. After a while, I felt a strange calm wash over me as I left my body and rose above the desert floor. Looking down, I could see that my wrath had stirred up vicious desert winds whipping everyone below. I saw Sokka grab Toph and pull her away from me. I saw the Sandbenders running from me in terror. Then I saw my body standing in the center of the whirlwind.

But Katara, fighting the wind with each step, slowly made her way toward me. She didn’t seem afraid of me this time. She just took hold of my body and hugged me. She didn’t say a word.

Gradually my anger subsided and I saw the winds die down. Then I felt myself returning to earth, to my body. Katara did something for me that words could not do. The simple act of hugging me told me that she was there for me completely, without judgment, without lectures, without fear. It struck a chord deep inside me. I felt my heart open up to her. …

Then the wind stopped. But the pain I’d been keeping at bay rushed in with the force of a hurricane. I closed my eyes, gave myself over to Katara’s arms, and cried harder than I had ever cried in my life.