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

18: A Reunion of Friends and Foes

"We're not lost, are we, Mochi?" Confused, Ma-Ti studied his map again, tracing and retracing the path he had taken. The map was a gift from Captain Mathena, and he had studied it zealously until he had nearly worn the parchment out. He knew there was a path away from the little port town, and a divergence where he had parted ways with Mariner and Usagi. He also knew that the path he had taken wound around a small forest, a river, and some landmarks, but most of those landmarks weren't there, and the river had apparently changed course since the map had been made. Ma-Ti knew where he needed to be and was sure that he was in the right area...

"This is where we're supposed to meet," he said, pointing to the map. "The letter said: northwest past the five stones, a day east, then meet here at a pond. This is the only pond I've seen since I started walking east past those stones." Mochi chittered quietly, just as bewildered and nervous as his companion. Ma-Ti patted his head in an effort to comfort them both but was startled when a dark shape passed overhead.

He shielded his eyes from the sun and looked up; the shape was moving, growing larger, getting closer. His face lit up as he recognized it as an air-bison (he had only seen pictures up until now), but there was no time to get acquainted with the beast, as it lifted back up into the air and flew off before he could get closer. Something even better was there waiting in its stead, and he grinned and laughed at her.

"Linka!" She grunted a little as he hugged her, but soon embraced him.

"Hello, Ma-Ti. It has been too long. Are you the first one here?"

"Yes." He released her and stepped back, taking a good look at a friend he had not seen in over a year. Linka was always stern and severe, but beautiful, strong-willed, and inflexibly loyal. "You've hardly changed at all! How are things at your temple?"

"Difficult and tempestuous, but when have they been otherwise? I keep hearing that peace is coming soon, but it is like trying to grasp at a rainbow, no?"

"That may be, but I've heard plenty of rumors in my travels. Word has it that..." He stopped himself to look up; another air-bison had flown overhead, and was settling down nearby. This time Ma-Ti was determined to see it up close, so he called for Linka to follow him and ran for it. He was just able to peer into the eyes of the noble beast as it took off again, leaving two very worthy consolation prizes.

"Kwame! Gi!" He laughed and hugged them both, and they laughed in return.

"Well howdy there, handsome! I ain't seen you in a spell! Hey, and there's my favorite air-bender!" Gi waved at Linka, and the two embraced while Kwame settled for a respectful bow.

"You two look to be doing well," he said. Linka nodded proudly.

"As well as can be expected. It is good to see the two of you again. The times have grown unpredictable, have they not?"

"Indeed. Lately I have been studying and traveling around, trying to learn what good we can all do. I can only hope it has not been fruitless. Gi has been helping me...in her own fashion."

"Oh yeah," she drawled, putting an arm over Linka's neck, "Kwame and I've had lotsa private moments together, if ya catch m'drift!"

"I think so," she muttered. Linka extricated herself and glanced around tentatively. "Ah, you have not, by any chance, seen, ah..." She was interrupted by the sound of cracking branches, shivering leaves, and querulous cursing. A young man burst through a nearby overgrowth, with more than enough of the forest still clinging to him as a souvenir. He pulled a brier out of his hair and cringed sourly.

"Darn it, just my luck that I'd get lost! You'd think that after an hour of wandering around this stupid jungle, I...oh, hey guys! Looks like I'm not lost after all!" He laughed loudly and threw his arms open as Ma-Ti and Gi both hugged him. He and Kwame clasped hands firmly, each one flexing a little. When it came to greeting Linka, however, he hung back.

"Oh, uh, hey there, Linka. You're lookin' good. So, uh...how's it hangin'?"

She just sighed. This was the one encounter she hadn't been looking forward to.

"Hello, Joriah. It is...eh, good to see you." He blinked, bewildered.

"Uh, I told you you could just call me Wheeler—or at least 'Jo'."

"Yes, I know," she answered coldly, crossing her arms, "but, eh, I would rather be formal with you, if you do not mind."

"Why?" he said, stepping closer. A chuckle was forced out. "Come on, Linka, we've known each other for years! Why the formality now?"

"It is just the way I would prefer it. I would like to keep our relationship professional."

"Whuh-oh, did somebody order a wet blanket?" Gi galloped between them and grabbed them in her arms, forcing them closer. "Come on, guys, it's been forever since we've been together and this is how you act? We need to have a party! We should go out and do somethin' fun like the old days!"

"I don't think any of us are in the mood for fun, Gi," Kwame said respectfully. She gawked in disbelief, but even Ma-Ti seemed more serious than usual. She let her friends go and sulked.

"Oh all right, fine. But we should at least have somethin' to eat together."

"We can definitely agree on that," Wheeler grinned. Linka explained that the air-bison that had carried her here would come back shortly, after dropping one more person off, so they'd have some time to talk and catch up on everything. They all found a place to sit down—Linka distancing herself from Wheeler—and wove stories of their travels and adventures until the first dim light of evening was traced across the sky.

…...

Usagi squinted as the air whipped at her long golden braids. She hadn't thought about tying them up, and now the wind was too fierce for her to do anything about it. Vainamoinen's beard fluttered in the breeze as well, but he didn't seem to mind or notice; his eyes were focusing on something else, something elusive but definite, and very concerning from the look on his face. Setsuna was holding tight to the boy, Anshar, who was holding tight to his lemur, Kishar. The world was passing beneath them in a blur.

"Where are we going?" Usagi pressed. She figured they'd have some leisure before they arrived at their undisclosed destination, so now was as good a time as any for explanations. Vainamoinen gave her a grim, quizzical expression.

"If you mean the precise location, I do not know yet. If you mean the general location, I suppose we are heading northeast."

"But I thought... You said we..." She stammered, not sure what to make of this confusing rhetoric. Vainamoinen raised an eyebrow.

"I sensed the advent of a horrific threat, my young Avatar. We are going to confront that threat. I do not know precisely where it is at the moment, but as a hound will pick up a scent and follow it until it arrives at its quarry, so are we pursuing this enemy. That is what I meant."

"Oh." She sat back, sated a little. She glanced at Setsuna, who was solely focused on keeping Anshar and Kishar comfortable. What significance they held was still a mystery; evidently Usagi's companions knew more than she did. Well, Setsuna did say she could see into many potential futures. Did this boy and his pet bear some importance to one of them? Obviously they were more than they appeared to be, for Setsuna was willing to risk throwing the balance of the world off-kilter for their sake. Unless, of course, things were already teetering out of control, and these two were meant to help set things right...

Frazzled, Usagi looked at Vainamoinen again. "What sort of threat are we dealing with here?"

"A Primordial of unimaginable power," he said directly. "Though it is possible I am mistaken, so one can hope. But I am familiar with their works, and their abilities. One of their kind bore me into this world, after all, at the very Beginning." He could tell that all this meant nothing to Usagi, so he relaxed a little and clarified: "No doubt you have heard of Apsu by this point."

"Oh, you mean like those Tears of Apsu? I saw a few of them in Beryl's palace."

"Yes, they are her handiwork—Apsu's, I mean. She is the threat we are most likely racing to confront."

"What does she want?"

"To return this world to a state of sterility and silence, the way it was in her time. Originally she was a Primordial of creation, responsible for sweet water and salt water, but when life became too abundant, she wished it wiped clean from this world—eh, and she nearly succeeded, too. A great hero put an end to her...for a time."

"Who was that hero?" Vainamoinen pursed his lips, stroking his beard in thought even as it buffeted against him.

"I don't remember," he murmured slowly. "Whoever it was, they are not in this world anymore. Perhaps they are dead, or spirited away somewhere else."

"Oh. Can we stop her?" He chuckled grimly.

"The three of us? We would but delay her a little."

"But you're really powerful," she insisted, looking at both the old man and Setsuna. "Both of you! And...being the Avatar's gotta count for something, right? A-and I've got friends..."

"It wouldn't do any good, I'm afraid," Setsuna said softly. "If every single bender from the four corners of the earth were to join forces, it wouldn't be enough. If they were aided by every spirit, every living creature in our world...maybe. But nothing less."

"Then how can we stop something like that?!"

"Have patience, now," said Vainamoinen, gently waving his hand. "We are not throwing ourselves heedlessly into this fire. Apsu's reappearance in this world is earlier than any of us may have wanted, but I have spent a bit of time and effort preparing for it. There is one countermeasure we may yet be able to employ. I cannot do it alone, however. That is where you—and this boy, I believe—come into play." He smiled warmly at Anshar, who was still struggling against the wind.

"Wh-what can I do, sir? I...I don't have any bending powers..."

"Oh, but you do, my dear," Setsuna assured him. "You and the Avatar here have powers that are far beyond the scope of anything Vainamoinen or I could conjure. When the time is right, you'll—"

"Ah, we've arrived, I think!" Vainamoinen exclaimed suddenly. The air-bison was slowing down, and had begun his descent. Usagi peeked over his furry side and recognized the place immediately: the royal palace of Ba Sing Se. In fact, they were close to the very same courtyard where Mamoru had tried instructing her in earth-bending. Even though little more than a week had passed since then, it felt like a lifetime ago. If only Mamoru could see her now! She could probably earth-bend on his level, maybe even teach him a thing or two! She couldn't wait to...

Oh...she couldn't wait. If only she could see him now.

Usagi jumped off impatiently, glancing around in hopes that Mamoru had seen the bison approaching and would be there to greet them. Vainamoinen studied her for a bit as he helped Setsuna and Anshar off, chuckled at the capricious nature of youth, and loudly cleared his throat.

"Apsu is not yet here, Avatar Usagi, just in case you were wondering. I noticed your earlier vigilance and thought you should be put at ease." Usagi giggled bashfully and tried to recover, but Vainamoinen let her misguided enthusiasm slide. "It is good that you should seek the King, for we must address this threat to him and see to it that he understands its severity, and prepares for it. Apsu is coming to Ba Sing Se, whether by design or chance, and we must use whatever advantage we have to...ah!" The old man lit up, and so did Usagi, as Mamoru and a retinue of guards burst into the courtyard to demand why an unknown air-bison had felt the urge to settle into his courtyard.

"Excuse me, but what is the meaning of—"

"MAMORUUUU!" Usagi immediately threw herself at him and, not wishing to wait an instant longer, kissed him full on the mouth for nearly half a minute. She let out a triumphant yawp as she popped herself free, gushing and laughing. "Aaaah, I feel better now!"

"It's good to see you too, bun-head," Mamoru tittered, trying not to blush too much. His guards laughed and whistled, but stood to attention again as he cleared his throat. Vainamoinen approached him and though the two had never met, the look in the old man's stormy eyes expressed volumes.

"I do not mean to interrupt the reunion of such passionate acquaintance, but I have come here, your highness, with the most dire and urgent business you are likely to hear in your lifetime."

"And me," Usagi piped up. "He came here with me, too."

Vainamoinen cleared his throat very loudly. Usagi meekly shirked away.

"Well, good sir," Mamoru resumed, "if you come here with the Avatar, then I must put my trust in your word. Ah, and I believe I recognize another member of your party. My lady, I owe you a great debt." Mamoru bowed to Setsuna, who returned his bow and smiled.

"The debt has been repaid, I believe. You have worked diligently to maintain this country in the wake of its previous ruler's end. How I wish we had come here to give you reprieve, Endymion!"

"You arrive with my most cherished companion," he replied, looking warmly at Usagi. "To have seen her smiling face, and to know her affections for me, is reprieve enough to last me years."

"Aw, shucks," Usagi giggled, blushing. Mamoru was soon formally introduced to the two, and also to Anshar, who hung back shyly. He had never met a king before, nor anyone of any rank. Mamoru greeted him very politely and stated that he and his facilities were at the boy's service. Vainamoinen then asked that an urgent meeting be called, with all the king's advisors and Generals in attendance. He, Setsuna, and Usagi had much to discuss, and little time to work with. Mamoru understood, and gave the order; Anshar was trusted with a servant, and events swiftly moved forward towards a conclusion that would either see the salvation of the world...or its complete annihilation.

…...

The skies were becoming pleasantly cloudy when Ivanushka settled beyond the massive outer wall of Ba Sing Se. This was as far as the creature would go, but that was fine with Minako and Ishtar; they didn't want to keep him apart from Linka any longer than necessary. They thanked him for bearing them so far; he permitted a single, brief nuzzle before hurling up into the sky. Now they were all alone.

"I've never been to Ba Sing Se before," Ishtar said, awed as she stared at one of the great wonders of the world. "It...really does take your breath away. Man, that wall is massive!"

"Yeah, it's really something, isn't it?" Minako mirrored. "You know, the first time I came here, I was invading it with my dad, back when Beryl was queen. Hard to believe that was only a few months ago."

"Wait, you invaded this place? Uh...are we going to be arrested?!"

"No, no, it's cool," Minako laughed. "The new king and I are tight. He'll listen to us."

"Oh, good." There was a pleasant pause in the conversation. "So is he cute?"

"Huh?" Minako looked over, noticing Ishtar's sparkling eyes, and grinned weakly. "Uh, sorry, Ishtar, but I think you're chopping down the wrong tree there. If Mamoru has eyes for anybody, it's Usagi."

"Really? Aw, crud! Pfft, the Avatar would get all the hot guys." She scowled and kicked the ground; Minako laughed and put her hand on Ishtar's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I know plenty of cuties around the world who'd line up for your affections." Ishtar immediately lit up.

"R-really? You'd introduce me to them?"

"You bet!" she winked. "As the ambassador of love, I would be honored to be your wing-girl, Ishtar."

"Really?! Ohmygosh, you're the best friend ever!" Ishtar laughed and hugged Minako, but then a thought occurred to her, and she jerked back suspiciously. "Hey, wait a minute! How can I trust you to not steal some of them for yourself?" Minako blushed and glanced away nervously, not doing her credibility any favors.

"Oh! Um, well, uh, ya see, it's, uh..." Just then, the dark shadow of another air-bison flew overhead, settling down close to them. Minako recognized some of the passengers and sighed with relief. "Saved at the last minute," she murmured, running off to greet them. Ishtar fumed after her.

"Wait a minute, I'm not done with you y—ah, Nabu! Marduk!" It was indeed her two friends, alongside Makoto and Ami. Minako threw herself around the tall brunette first, laughing and squealing for joy. Makoto was a little surprised by the reception but returned it quickly; Ami hung back, shy as ever. Minako noticed her and winked.

"Hey there, stranger! Welcome to the party." Minako hugged her too; she blushed a little. As the reunions settled a little, Makoto tensed as she noticed Ishtar, and worried that there'd be a confrontation. She noticed that Minako seemed at ease, though, and went up to formally introduce herself to the other two girls. In no time everyone knew everyone else...but there were some who were noticeably absent from the group.

"Has anyone seen Rei-Rei?" Minako said. Everyone shook their heads, and a dismal cloud of concern fell over her face. She optimistically tried shrugging it off. "W-well, I guess she's just taking her time with whatever she went off to do. Heh...and she always got on our cases for being late to something!" She wandered off a little, trying to assure herself that all was well, not giving in to concern or doubt—and doing a poor job of it. The girls all exchanged a knowing look before Makoto went to wrangle her back.

"You're right, Mina. Rei probably wants to finish whatever she's doing so that she has no hangups or loose threads. She wouldn't put a halfhearted effort into something she took this seriously." Minako was quiet for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah...I know...but Usagi's gone, too. She's what worries me the most, especially after the way she left us."

"Hey, Usagi's a lot tougher than she looks," Makoto assured her. "I mean, she took on Beryl all by herself, and she held her own when we saved Motoki."

"Don't forget how she helped break us all out of Kunzite's prison," Ami added. Minako's smile slowly returned, and she nodded in agreement. The other girls were impressed to hear such feats attributed to one person—but of course, Suen had more than a few amazing victories under her belt, too. Minako was about to guide them into Ba Sing Se when she spotted another air-bison landing outside the city wall. She was sprinting even as it flew away, and skidded to a halt as she saw Rei politely dusting herself off. The fire priestess offered a timid smile.

"Hello, Mina." The other girl's eyes watered over, her mouth trembling.

"Darn it!" She threw her arms around Rei and squeezed hard. Rei simply smiled and endured it. Minako finally let go when she heard someone clearing their throat.

"Look, if this is some girlfriend you need to keep secret because of your sacred priestess vows..."

"For the last time, Nergal, I'm not dating anybody! No boys, no girls, nothing! Got it? Okay?"

"Aww, seriously?" Minako moaned. "You mean you're not interested in anybody?"

"N-no!" she stammered, her face glowing crimson. "I...I've been too busy with everything to get into a relationship! B-besides, there's nothing wrong with being single, okay? Especially at our age..."

"Oh, well," Nergal sighed, chuckling quietly. She waved as her friends found her, and hugs and handshakes were passed all around. Makoto and Ami soon caught up, and they greeted Rei with more reservation. Minako just fumbled with her hands.

"So...if someone were to have a thing for you, you'd have to turn them down."

"Yes, Minako," Rei stated firmly. "I would do it politely and respectfully, but still: no romances. That includes having one with you."

"I wasn't asking for myself," she grumbled. "I just wanted to know for a friend."

Sorry, Ami! Looks like your chance with Rei just failed.

With that mystery evidently cleared up, the eight girls got acquainted with each other, and soon came to realize that, a few differences aside, there were genuinely good people on both sides who each shared similar goals. The whole conflict honestly stemmed from confusion over who the true Avatar was, and what manner of creature had come to possess the false one. All eight of the girls had her own theory, and while none of them could commit to anything definite yet, they were united in learning the truth. As they were talking, Ami noticed something odd.

"Where's your other friend? Ah...Suen, was it? Shouldn't she be included in this?"

"We would if we knew where she was," Marduk said. They explained how their group had parted; the similarities were becoming more and more striking. Nobody knew where Usagi was, and nobody knew where Suen was. Rei took a deep breath and stepped up.

"I received a vision a few days before I came here. It...revealed a lot of things to me, but the main point it made was that the Avatar had concluded her mission, and would be coming back to us. It didn't say when, or where...but I feel like this is the place." Of course, she didn't mention the overwhelming evil the vision had shown her. No sense alarming everyone unnecessarily.

"But that still doesn't help us with Suen," Nergal sighed as she crossed her arms. "Frankly, I'm getting worried. She...was going through some really rough things when she left us."

"Maybe we shouldn't have let her go off on her own," Ishtar murmured. Marduk shrugged.

"I think letting her have some time to herself was the best thing we could've done. Sometimes ya just need to figure things out on your own."

"I can sympathize with that," Makoto said, and all the girls nodded.

"Still, I wish I knew where she was," Marduk added.

"Ask and it shall be given!" Startled, the girls whirled around, beholding a figure silhouetted by the sunlight. Nobody could quite make our who or what it was, and while the voice was vaguely familiar, it didn't sound like anybody they...

"Hey," Nergal said slowly, "is that..."

The figure drew closer.

"Speak of the angel and she shall appear. Hello, friends. It's good to see you again."

"No way," Ishtar whispered in awe. "Suen! Ohmygosh, this is so weird, we were just talking about y—" She was interrupted by Nabu, thrusting her arm out, a stern look on her impenetrable facade.

"Stand back. Something seems wrong about this."

"Wrong?" Ishtar stared dolefully at the approaching figure. She looked like Suen—the same slight, golden-haired girl with piercing blue eyes—but she didn't quite sound like her, or move like her.

"You were talking about me?" the figure said, smiling broadly but emptily. "I hope it was something good." At last she came into full view, a creature who was only the facsimile of a human: gaunt, pale, wide-eyed, ceaselessly grinning, twitching uncontrollably, its joints bending at odd angles, casting no shadow. Any resemblance to their friend Suen was superficial at best. Nabu's eyes widened in horror as whatever this was drew closer.

"Stay back, all of you! That's not Suen. Whatever was possessing her before now has total control over Suen's body. For all we know...the Suen we once knew and loved is gone forever."

The end of "A Reunion of Friends and Foes"

Next time: "A Hot Time in the Old Town"