The spider spirit had just returned to its cave, sitting into the silence it so dearly cherished. Peace wrapped around it, and already it began to drift back into slumber. Barely minutes later, its eyes snapped open wide as a thunderous explosion shook the cave.
The first thing it noticed was the absence of its roof, where once there had been rocks, now only open sky loomed above, revealing the shifting expanse of the spirit world.
The spider blinked in confusion. Then its many eyes focused on the figure standing in the mouth of the cave, his body crackling with lightning. For a moment, the spirit could not comprehend. Wasn't this the human it had trapped in the Fog of Lost Souls? How, in the name of the Mother of Faces, had he come back here?
Tai Lung stood silently, giving the spirit time to recognize the gravity of the moment, only then he spoke "I asked you for direction, and you tried to kill me. I did not harm you, I only asked you to guide me. But you chose to trap me in that cursed fog. Tell me… how should I punish you?"
The spider's crimson eyes widened. It stammered, "You misunderstand, I…"
"Really?" Tai Lung interrupted, his voice cold "Trying to lie again? Let me give you a choice. Do you prefer death by fire… or by lightning?" His eyes narrowed dangerously, a blue flame erupting in one hand, while sparks dancing in the other.
The spider trembled, its legs shaking. "I, I am so sorry! I tricked you, yes, but I won't ever do it again! Please, spare me! I will show you the way this time, truly!"
Tai Lung's gaze did not soften. "Why should I trust you again?"
Desperate, the spider spoke quickly. "Because I can help you right now! The spirit world is not like the human world. Here, emotions and dreams shape your surroundings. If you desire to move fast, to leave this place, the world itself will help you. And as you go, you will meet other spirits, some who know where to go, and they can guide you further!"
Tai Lung tilted his head, suspicious but intrigued. "So I need the desire to move, not to find. And as I continue, spirits may come to guide me?"
The spider nodded furiously. "Yes! Yes, exactly! Not all spirits can help, I cannot, but others can! As you move around, you are bound to find someone who can help you!"
"Very well," Tai Lung said at last, his tone sharp. "I will try this. But hear me, spider, if I discover you lied to me again, I will find you, no matter where you hide in this world." With that, he turned and left.
The spider dared not move. It only watched the scary human disappear into the trees, whispering a silent prayer to the Mother of Faces that the human would succeed and never return.
Tai Lung walked through the forest in silence, replaying the spirit's words. He thought of moving faster, crossing the forest in a single step. The more he focused on the desire, the stranger the sensation became. With each step, the ground seemed to fold beneath him, his stride stretching for meters at a time as though he were teleporting.
And before he realized it, he stood at the forest's edge. Ahead, jagged mountains pierced the horizon in the distance.
Tai Lung looked back at the forest, marveling at what he had just experienced. Even if he wanted to describe it to another, he doubted anyone would ever understand the strange, impossible sensation of it.
After his moment of reverie, Tai Lung's eyes moved back toward the mountains, narrowing as he wondered where to go from here. The land before him stretched far, but not a single spirit could be seen. After a moment of thought, he decided to continue moving forward. If what the spider had said was true, he was bound to come across more spirits eventually.
This time, Tai Lung chose to take to the skies. He pushed his arms back and leapt into the air, his fire propelling him forward . From above, he could better view the land and perhaps catch sight of something useful. At the same time, he focused his thoughts again, calling upon that strange sensation he had experienced earlier.
The next moment, his body surged forward. The world blurred beneath him as he flew at alarming speed, dozens of times faster than his usual flight. The wind howled past him, and yet he felt weightless, carried by thought as much as fire and chi.
As he moved through the air, something caught his eye, a golden shape gliding across the sky ahead. Tai Lung slowed, his eyes widening. It was a winged eastern golden dragon, its long serpentine body weaving gracefully among the clouds. For a moment, Tai Lung simply hovered in awe, memories from his first life welling within him. Once, he had dreamed of becoming the Dragon Warrior, a warrior named after a dragon like this one.
He remained silent, lost in the sight. The dragon, however, noticed him. With a thunderous beat of its wings, it turned, its golden scales glinting in the light. Tai Lung stayed in place, watching as the majestic spirit approached him. The dragon began circling, spinning around him in wide arcs.
Tai Lung raised his voice, steady and respectful. "Do you know where I can find the Spirit Library, or Wan Shi Tong?"
The dragon released a powerful roar, the sound echoing across the skies. It was not words, but Tai Lung understood, it was a yes. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Can you show me the way?"
The dragon roared again. This time, it stopped its circling and hovered in front of him, lowering its body as if beckoning him to climb on its back.
Tai Lung did not hesitate. He leapt forward, landing on the dragon's back, sitting on golden scales. The spirit wasted no time, soaring across the vast lands of the spirit world with breathtaking speed.
Eventually, the horizon shifted, and an enormous structure came into view. Tai Lung's eyes widened, the building was vast, towering higher and stretching farther than any he had seen in both of his lives. The dragon descended smoothly, landing near the colossal entrance.
Tai Lung dismounted and bowed respectfully. "I thank you for your guidance."
The dragon lowered its head, releasing a softer, gentler roar, then took off into the skies, vanishing into the distance.
Tai Lung watched it go before turning to the building. With steady steps, he walked inside.
The sight that greeted him stole his breath. Endless shelves stretched into the distance, towering high above, filled with books and scrolls, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions. The Great Spirit Library.
Tai Lung walked slowly, his eyes tracing the endless rows, taking in the sheer number of books and scrolls that filled this place. He wandered deeper, and then a sound reached him, a voice, speaking aloud.
He lifted his gaze upward to where the sound was coming from. High above him, one of the bridges connecting the upper floor At the center of the library, someone was there talking or reading.
Tai Lung immediately took flight toward the upper bridge and upon landing on it, he was met with a lone man sitting, reading a scroll with a visible excitement, completely unaware of Tai Lung's presence.
Tai Lung said "Hello there. You are a human. What are you doing here?"
The man jumped in fright, nearly dropping his scroll. "Aah! Where did you come from?" His eyes darted to Tai Lung's uniform. "Wait, you're a soldier of the Fire Nation?"
Tai Lung nodded. "Yes. And from your clothing, you are from the Earth Kingdom. But how come you are here?"
The man straightened nervously, still clutching the scroll. "I am Professor Zei, head of the anthropology department at Ba Sing Se University. Or… I was. By now, I imagine they believe me missing or dead."
Tai Lung gave a small nod. "I am Tai Lung, captain of the Fire Nation."
Zei's eyes widened. "The Fire Avatar?"
Tai Lung chuckled softly. "The one and only. I'm curious, how did you arrive here?"
The professor replied "I entered the library when it was still in the human world. When Wan Shi Tong drew it back into the spirit world, I refused to leave. And so, I remained." He looked at Tai Lung curiously. "And you? How did you get here?"
Before Tai Lung could answer, a shadow blotted the bridge. A black giant owl descended, talons folding as it perched with a soft thud. Its eyes, two circles of liquid night, fixed on Tai Lung.
"Yes, human," the owl spoke, voice like pages turning. "How did you come here with your physical body?"