Fire...Air...Water...Earth... The Avatar has been revealed, and the world is ready to enter into an age of prosperity. But there are many forces unwilling to welcome her, or the new era she will usher in. As the Avatar and her friends struggle to maintain balance in the world, powerful enemies are emerging, set on ruining the new Avatar and everything she holds dear. She has but one advantage over her foes, and hopefully, it will be enough to save her and the world she cherishes. The Avatar's name is Usagi, a warrior of love and justice, and this is her story!

AVATAR

The Celestial Sailors

BOOK TWO: HEART

16: Suen Alone

Hungry, cold, and a little wet from the sprinkle of rain, Suen stared at the sign in front of the restaurant: HELP WANTED, Inquire Within. She had no money and hadn't eaten since...since... She couldn't remember. She went in and inquired; the proprietor needed dishwashers since the last one had quit abruptly. The pay would be low, he warned her, but to a girl with nothing, even a small amount seemed like a fortune. Besides, she would get paid every day at the end of her shift, and that enticed her more than anything. She was put to work almost immediately and all the concerns and troubles of the last few days were (literally and figuratively) washed away with the numbness of labor. Cleaning dishes was taxing and monotonous, but it was honest, and Suen got into the rhythm of it quickly. It was her very first job, and the very first time in her life where she had been alone.

The drizzle that had been coming down earlier had turned into a tolerable rainfall when her shift was over. Suen could imagine herself strolling in this weather very pleasantly in other circumstances, but now she had no means of escaping it. There were no shelters in this little town, and she couldn't afford any hotels. She couldn't stay at the restaurant, and her manager didn't have any suggestions for her. Camping was completely out of the question, and her closest friend was another continent away. Several miles from the town outskirts was a small cavern, so without any better prospects, she went there, hoping it was habitable, or at least safe. Suen was exhausted when she arrived at its mouth, and completely soaked, but the cavern was unoccupied, and suited her needs. She sat down and wished she could get a fire going; her teeth chattered and her clothes stuck to her like a second skin.

I can make a fire for you if you like, said the spirit who called itself Raava. Suen was nearly desperate enough to accept, but she knew it wouldn't be worth the price of her independence. She said nothing and decided to remove her clothes. She had noticed a professional laundry service while in town, as well as an inexpensive boutique and tailoring service. If necessary, she could pay them both a visit before work.

I could make it so that the rain never fell on you. You could be dry, and warm, and you wouldn't have to eat your meal raw. What did you buy with your day's wages, anyway?

Again, Suen said nothing. She had gotten some ramen in town but also purchased some vegetables for later, since she knew the rain would do them no harm. She ate them quietly, half-naked and trembling inside a cavern. Idly she looked around for loose pieces of tinder and found some just outside the cave entrance. They were thoroughly waterlogged, but she tried igniting them anyway, rubbing them together as she had seen other people do.

Is this the fate of the Avatar? To starve and freeze in isolation? Rubbing wet sticks together in a vain attempt at keeping herself warm? Kalkin was born into nobility! Sung Chiang led armies! Nami dined alongside emperors and kings! Even Wan, who was born into squalor, counted great spirits as his friends and allies. And what do you have, my dear Suen? Leeks and radishes, wet clothes, and fingers pruned from scrubbing plates all day.

Sometimes she couldn't tell if it was Raava talking to her or her own conscience. She tried ignoring it—her—them—and kept rubbing. She had nothing else to do and did not want to be left with her thoughts. Finally, her palms blistered and she dropped her sticks, cringing from the pain. It looked like she would have to spend the night in bitter cold. Shakily, she picked the tinder up again and slowly started over. The gentle hiss of rain was broken by the sound of wet footsteps on grass, and she looked up. Standing at the mouth of the cave was an older woman, her hair dyed green and held back in a ponytail, a sword by her side.

For an instant, Suen wondered if this was how she would die.

"That's not how you start a fire," the woman said. She let herself into the cave, knelt at the soggy pile of wood Suen had made, and set it aside. "This will only fill the cave up with smoke," she stated, then produced a flint and tinder from a pouch. She had a small bundle of firewood wrapped in cloth on her back, and placed it on the ground, then lit a fire with her flint. In what felt like magic, a merry blaze ignited and Suen immediately felt better. She looked into the face of her savior, not knowing what to say.

"Um, thank you."

"You're welcome." The woman put her sword aside and sat next to the fire, warming her hands. She then reached into her pouch, removing dried meat and a skewer, and started to roast it. She looked at Suen. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm good," Suen said, showing her vegetables. She then had a thought: "Do you mind if I roast these over your fire?"

"It's our fire now," said the woman, and she handed Suen several skewers. Soon the cavern began to fill with the sweet fragrance of roasting meat and vegetables, and despite having eaten already, Suen felt hungry. The woman said nothing, content to watch her food cook, not even glancing at her companion. Suen felt uncomfortable with the silence now, so she made the first move.

"Are you traveling as well?"

"Yes, in a sense," the woman answered.

"And you don't have much money, either?"

"No, but I've rarely ever needed it. I usually hunt or trade for my food. What little I have usually goes to maintaining my clothes or my sword."

"That sounds like a difficult life," Suen remarked softly. The woman shrugged.

"It's not if you're used to it. I've found that people can adjust to anything if they do it long enough. Ah, I think our food is ready." The woman took a few tentative bites of her meat before digging in; meanwhile Suen ate roasted mushrooms, carrots, and peppers in content silence. The woman offered a bit of her meat, and Suen returned the gesture with some vegetables, which were gratefully accepted. The woman then excused herself, went outside, and came back with a wooden bowl full of rain water. She let Suen sip out of it first, then finished the other half before returning it.

"That's probably the best meal I've had in a long time," Suen remarked. The woman smiled.

"Are you out here by yourself?" Suen thought about it for a moment.

I will never leave you or forsake you.

"Yes." The woman pursed her lips.

"It isn't good for a lady to wander around by herself." Suen looked at her companion and smirked.

"Aren't you the same?" She looked embarrassed.

"Yes, but I can take care of myself. Still, I should probably follow my own advice. I'll accompany you if you like." Suen was honestly hoping she'd say that. It had only been a day or so since her friends left, but she felt terribly lonesome.

You will always have ME.

"Where were you going?" she asked. The woman shrugged.

"Nowhere in particular. Right now I'm just wandering around trying to find my own path. My sister already found hers, you see, and she invited me to join her, but...I really wanted to distinguish myself, I guess you could say. Where might you be going?"

"I honestly have no idea," Suen murmured fretfully. "I...I just wanted to go." The woman contemplated this for a moment before softening her expression.

"Well, we could do worse than two ladies without a destination in mind. What's your name?"

"Suen. It means 'moon'."

"I am Keya," she announced, bowing slightly. "It's one half of the name of an ancient Fire Nation war goddess. My sister Kartti has the other half."

…...

The next day was wetter than the one before, but Suen managed to buy some clothes and wash her old ones. She cleaned dishes while Keya went hunting, and when afternoon waned into evening, they met at their cave and shared another meal. This went on for a few days: slowly the two wanderers opened up to each other, trying to figure out where they were going and what they wanted to do with their lives. Eventually Suen earned enough money to quit her job and return to the road, though she still had no idea where she was heading. She confided in Keya that she was looking for information on Kalkin and other Avatars, but didn't say why. Keya didn't pry, and she didn't judge. She rarely spoke at all unless spoken to, and while her tone was dry and straightforward, she was a refreshing companion, and just as welcome in silence as she was in conversation.

The two ladies were waylaid by ruffians one evening, and while Suen made account of herself, Keya did most of the fighting. Suen apologized for not being helpful in the skirmish, but Keya told her not to feel sorry: after all, even in times of war, not everyone could be a warrior. All the same, she thought it was a good idea if Suen could defend herself, and decided to teach her the basics of combat so she wouldn't be at a disadvantage. Suen wanted to laugh at first—after all, wasn't she the Avatar? Couldn't she, with a flick of her wrist, conjure up powers greater than a hundred warriors and sweep all but the fiercest foes from her sight? Her inner voice assured her she could, and far more besides, if only she would agree to embrace it fully. That was a line Suen honestly did not know if she wanted to cross, or even if she could cross it. She wanted the power but not at the expense of her free will.

She therefore agreed to be instructed. Keya found some bamboo growing alongside the path and cut off two poles, tossing one to her "student". As she taught Suen how to hold her weapon, and how to make a proper stance, she couldn't help but smirk a little.

"You know, I've been learning and training with the sword all my life. I never even considered being able to teach someone. Anyway, I'm going to begin striking at you. I want you to parry my attacks. I'm going to move very slowly so you can get it right. Are you ready?" Suen nodded, grasping the pole like she was taught. Keya was very gentle with her first assault, moving her bamboo pole in wide, deliberate strokes that could be blocked with ease. After seven or eight of these, she complimented her "student", then went in for more blows: one-two, one-two, one-two. She told Suen how to move her feet, shift her balance, and focus her strength to maximize the effectiveness of her strikes, then asked Suen to try it on her.

"Slowly, at your own pace. Gently...that's it... Good, keep going, just like that. Watch your feet. Bend your waist a little more—good, good. Again. One, two; one, two; one, two. Let's try it a little faster now."

They sparred for two hours, Keya providing tips and advice, complimenting Suen when she saw improvement, reprimanding gently when she noticed a mistake. While it was true that she had never taught before, her own teacher had been patient and wise, and most of his lessons were now being repeated. She also incorporated several techniques she and her sister used on each other during their sparring sessions, and noted that while Suen would probably never reach that level of mastery, she caught on quickly and kept up with the more experienced fighter. When they finished, the bamboo poles were threadbare, and Suen's muscles ached. But Keya also noticed a glow of pride about her.

"That's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow if you want."

"I'd like that," Suen said, nodding vigorously. Keya smiled and even chuckled a little.

"I may have found my calling just now. Do you think I'd make a good sword instructor?"

"I don't know," Suen said, gushing from weariness. "You seem to enjoy it, though." Keya looked at her hands, calloused from long years of fighting and training. She caressed the pommel of her blade.

"I did, didn't I?" She had nothing more to say, but plenty to think about, as they retired for the evening.

The next morning, they found a river to bathe in. Keya undressed and stepped in with practiced deliberation; Suen leaped, curled into a ball mid-air, and made a huge splash. She laughed as the water saturated Keya and scooped up huge waves to splash at her, making her shriek. Keya may have been a master swordswoman, but was helpless against Suen's superior splash technique, and quickly surrendered before she was drowned. Eventually they settled against the bank of the river, watching the rain sputter on and off, their clothes safely dry under a rock outcropping. Suen noticed her companion had quite a few scars on her body, and froze when their eyes met.

"I hear men like them," Keya remarked with a smirk. Suen chortled.

"How's that going for ya?"

"Very poorly. I'm much better at scaring them off than I am at attracting them. What about you?" Suen blushed and looked away.

"I-I'm not into that..."

"I mean, how are you with the opposite gender?" She frowned and shook her head.

"I've never had the time for it. Usually, whenever I was with my other friends, they did all the ogling. Except for Nabu, I mean; she's never shown an interest in anyone." Keya shrugged.

"There's nothing wrong with that. Another thing I've picked up in my travels is that people can be attracted to anyone, or no one. The only true vice is being attracted to yourself...though I did know one girl who was attracted to her brother."

"Gross," Suen gagged. Keya laughed.

"Speaking of which, do you have any family? I only have my twin sister. I think our parents were killed in one war or another, and we were too young to remember it." Suen felt cold as she recalled the deaths of her own parents. She envied Keya's inability to recall her family's demise, and wished she could do the same sometimes.

"I have a little brother, Anshar, but I haven't seen him in years. We were separated when..." She trailed off, and Keya immediately understood. She offered a sympathetic smile.

"I think it should be your quest to find him first. When you only have one person left in the entire world, everything else fades in the background. I know you didn't ask my opinion, but it's a matter I feel very strongly towards. And yet," she said, issuing a melancholy sigh, "here I am, alone in the world, my thoughts focused on myself and not my family. I can be a real hypocrite at times, can't I?"

"No more than the rest of us," Suen assured her. She drew her knees to her chest, staring at the flow of the river. "Especially not me."

There was a lengthy pause as the two women meditated on what they had said.

"So," Keya said blithely, "is your brother cute?" Suen snorted.

"He's thirteen!"

"Just thought I'd ask," she shrugged. Suen made sure to give her an extra-large splash for that.

…...

A tremendous peal of thunder welcomed them into the next village. The rain that had been sprinkling down a few moment ago was now gushing in torrents, making travel difficult and dangerous. Keya and Suen tried to shield themselves from the stinging storm as they sought shelter, but were surprised to find a number of people running around outside—and not for cover. Over the whipping wind and surging rain the ladies saw people scurrying with ropes, ladders, planks, poles, nets, bags of sand, and large stones. A small group noticed them and approached, carrying the trunk of a tree on their shoulders.

"Hey, could you two help us, please? This storm's caused a lot of flooding and there've been people trapped."

"Certainly," Keya answered immediately. "Tell us what you need to do." Suen was taken by surprise by the suddenness of the request, so she was more reluctant to help. Regardless, she knew it was the right thing to do, and braced herself for whatever task she was given. Keya was assigned sandbag duty while Suen would be transporting all the equipment. She was given a large fishing net first and told to follow two other villagers to one of the rivers. Thanks to the flash flood, the river had swelled to three times its size and was eroding the land. The nets would be used not to catch floating bits of flotsam, but people who had been swept away.

This could all be easily solved if you would accept my power.

Suen didn't reply. She just took the nets and followed the villagers to where she needed to go, then was sent back. Now she had to help transport planks so people could cross over freshly-carved tributaries to safety. She and a young man her age had five boards piled onto their shoulders and hiked through the slippery mud, their eyes stinging and their breath stolen away by the high winds.

Earth, water, wind... Not a problem at all for the Avatar.

She grit her teeth and laid the boards down where she was instructed. More villagers needed her help fixing a broken dam. Suen was weighed down with two very heavy buckets of homemade caulk, and just barely managed to trudge her way over. Workers immediately troweled the caulk into the dam, and Suen couldn't help but think that an earth-bender would make this job so much easier. They could fortify the dam, restructure it, build redundant safety measures, or even shape the land so that all the water flowed away from the village.

Why stop there? Why not bend the very rain itself? Or blow away those awful clouds?

A horrible crash of thunder broke her away from her thoughts. A bolt of lightning flashed against the black sky, striking a large tree and setting it on fire. The tree fell onto a house, and the fire spread in spite of the rain. The villagers, stretched thin as they were with the flood, rushed to put out the fire and save the house. Raava didn't need to say a word this time. She simply let Suen stand there, watching and wondering. She forced herself to turn away from the blaze and return for more supplies. This time it was two large coils of rope which were hung over her arms. The physical strain this was taking on her body was nearly unbearable, but she issued no complaint, willing to bear it if it meant saving lives.

That's right, one person can do quite a lot when they're put to the test. But think about...ah, I don't need to say it, do I?

Suen stumbled and got a face full of mud. She was helped to her feet by another villager, and he took one of her coils, burdened though he was. He led Suen to what appeared to be an island in the middle of the river. A crowd of villagers armed with poles were trying to reel someone in: it was a girl about her age, struggling against the current, barely clinging to life. She was dragged onto shore and carried away.

"M...my brother! Please, someone save him!" The girl pointed to the little island, and Suen's heart clogged in her throat as she saw a boy standing isolated on the island, trembling and wailing as the river chewed the land around him. Instantly she thought of Anshar, her own brother, and how she would feel if he were in this situation. Then she thought of what lengths she would go to save him.

What are you going to do?

Suen tied one end of her rope around a sturdy tree and the other end around her waist, then she dove into the raging current and swam for the island. Against all odds, she mustered up her strength and actually defied the elements long enough to brush her fingers against the island, but the river burst as the flood intensified, and she was carried off. In no time at all she felt her stomach lurch as the rope squeezed taut, and she was dazed for a moment. Her vision blurry, her senses lost, she could do nothing but hang there, completely at the mercy of the flood. She tried swimming back to shore but the going was unmanageable. The look of pure terror on the boy's face haunted her as the river closed in around him.

If you don't save him, how are you any better than that false Avatar?

Suen closed her eyes, and the world became dark and silent. There was only one option left.

She accepted.

Almost at once the rope burst apart, and she floated into the sky, the lashing wind and rain deflecting off her body. As the villagers stared at her in slack-jawed wonder, she turned around, gesturing for the earth to close and form a bridge. The boy was now free to run; she sent a gust of wind to help him on his way. With one sweeping gesture, a gale force blew the clouds away; another and the fires died down; another and the dam was fortified to triple strength; another and the river was diverted harmlessly. Suen worked furiously to repair all the damage, and within the span of five minutes, it was as if the storm had never happened. A quick scan of the area revealed her job completed, so she descended to the earth, radiating with a brilliance only the Avatar could claim.

The villagers were much too stricken to celebrate, or even thank her. But that was fine; she needed no thanks. She was the Avatar.

Breathless, Keya ran up to her, wide-eyed and soaking wet. Nothing was said for a very long time; she simply tried to catch her breath and understand what all of this portended.

"Suen," she called, "is that...you?"

"Of course it's me," she answered, though not quite in her own voice. "Who else would I be?"

"But you're glowing! You're... You look like..."

"What do I look like, Keya?" Keya swallowed heavily. She wasn't frightened...but she was getting there.

"You look like the Avatar," she said steadily. Suen smiled with unnatural mirth.

"That's because I am the Avatar. Avatar Suen, at your service."

"That can't be," Keya insisted. "I've seen the Avatar before, with my own eyes, months ago: Avatar Usagi."

"Ah, I see. You're confused. I'm sorry to alarm you like that. The truth is, that girl is a false Avatar. I'm the real one. She has a...rogue spirit inside of her—a very powerful one, but also...how do I put this? Incomplete? Incorrect? Maybe it's a little of both. In any case, she is a counterfeit, and while it may be no fault of her own, I must...correct her before she does any significant harm. You understand."

Keya bristled. "No, I don't. I don't understand at all. What exactly are you going to do?"

"The same thing a doctor does to any gangrenous limb. It's not a task I enjoy, but as the true Avatar, it is my duty. You can come along with me if you like. Ladies shouldn't wander around these parts by themselves."

"No," she whispered, trembling with fear and disgust—true fear, for the first time in her life. Her hand went to the hilt of her sword. "This is wrong. I can't explain why, but it feels wrong. You're...not acting like yourself, Suen."

Suen—the thing glowing before her with the purest light—laughed merrily. It felt like thorns were being pushed into her.

"How could it be wrong, Keya? I'm the Avatar, and the other girl is a fake. Truth must fight falsehood for it to triumph, must it not?"

"Yes, it must," she stated, slowly regaining control over herself. "But I wonder...which is true and which is false?"

She drew her sword. The grin on the other girl's face didn't go away.

"Are you going to stop me? Did you even see what I just did? I single-handedly stopped a flood, calmed a storm, and saved the entire village." Keya pursed her lips, remaining steadfast. She knew she didn't stand a chance. Twenty people with twenty times her skill wouldn't stand a chance. But she could not back down. She valued their newfound friendship too much. She had to...

"Suen, please, don't do this. This isn't you. We haven't known each other long, but I can tell this isn't you. I...I'm asking, as a friend—"

A muddy hand erupted from the earth, wrapped around Keya's neck, and dragged her down. Stone shackles enveloped her limbs and waist, and her sword was consumed. The thing's grin widened as she pointed her finger at the woman's exposed head, summoning a great fireball. Keya was forced to watch helplessly as the creature stood over her, ready to incinerate. The ball of fire rotated in midair, checked only by a tiny voice lost deep inside the thing that had consumed its host.

Please...stop! Please spare her! She's my friend! She didn't do anything wrong!

"She got in my way," the thing spoke. The fireball grew.

I'm begging you! Have mercy!

The creature's eyes widened, her mouth almost stretching ear to ear, teeth glistening. The fireball launched and missed Keya's head, impacting harmlessly off to the side.

"Next time," she announced, "I won't miss. But just so you don't follow me..." She snapped her finger, and the fireball coiled around Keya, forming a circle. The flames shot up, creating an impenetrable wall. Their eyes met one more time.

"THAT is how you start a fire."

With that, Apsu's Avatar turned around and walked away.

The End of "Suen Alone"

Next time: "A Story About Kalkin"