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

20: The True Hero

At last she came into full view, a creature who was only the facsimile of a human: gaunt, pale, wide-eyed, ceaselessly grinning, spasming uncontrollably, its joints bending at odd angles, casting no shadow. 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."

"That's not a very nice thing to say," the creature drawled, eyes twitching as its grin widened. "I'm the same old Suen you've always know, Nabu—only I've gotten stronger since the last time you saw me. Much, much stronger..." She shuffled to the side a little, her head twisting until it was focused on the other girls. Her grin remained but now it was plastered with malice. "What are you doing with them? They're with the false Avatar. That makes them our ENEMIES!"

"They're not our enemies!" Marduk protested. "And neither is their friend Usagi. If you just listened to them for two minutes..." Suddenly a blistering surge of water, fire, wind, and stone bolted through the air and crashed into the four girls, knocking them flat on the ground. Suen's hand smoldered, trembling.

"I don't listen, I act. You don't extend a hand of mercy to your enemies, you blot them out of existence." Astonished, Suen's four friends gawked at what they had seen, and the creature who was before them, glee masking intense hatred. Ishtar bravely stood in front of the other girls, crestfallen and terrified, but steadfast all the same.

"That's enough! I won't let you harm them or anyone else! M-maybe...maybe you're the fake Avatar! M-maybe you're the one who's wrong!" Suen's glare intensified, and she raised her hand, fingers curled cruelly into a claw. She was no longer smiling.

"You think so, huh? Does this feel fake to you?!" An earthen spear was launched at blinding speed; Ishtar was frozen to the spot.

"Look out!" She found herself shoved out of the way by Nabu, who took the blow in the abdomen. Blood issued and her eyes went dim as she collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap. Ishtar nearly lost her mind.

"NABU!" Grief-stricken, she knelt down and wept profusely, begging for the brave girl's life. Appalled by what they had seen, Marduk and Nergal could stand by no longer.

"All right, you asked for it! There's no way our Suen would ever do something so cruel!"

"Yeah! Whatever you are, we want our Suen back! Give her back or else!"

"Or else what?" she purred, eyes narrowing with malicious joy. "You'll beat it out of me? Ahahaha... Actually, I have a better idea. Instead of me fighting the two of you..." She made a broad thrusting gesture with her hands, twirling her fingers like she was conducting a marionette. The bodies of Marduk and Nergal immediately began convulsing and jerking in accordance. Horrified, Makoto sat up.

"What...what did you do to them?!"

"Oh, just a little trick I like to call 'flesh-bending'! Yes...why fight me when you can fight EACH OTHER?!" The creature possessing Suen laughed and slowly forced the two girls, step by agonizing step, closer to one another. They fought her for dear life, but were completely under her power now. Their bodies twisted into earth and fire-bending stances, calling out an orb of flame and a jagged blade of stone. Slowly, the two projectiles inched away from their origins, towards the other. Tears rolled down Marduk's face. Nergal began hyperventilating.

"Stop it! Stop it, Suen! Please, I'm begging you!"

"No! Don't make me do this! Don't make me fight my best friend..." A flicker of surprise ignited in Marduk's eyes for a single moment, but the fireball drew closer, and she was defenseless against it. The spear of stone edged closer to Nergal's throat...

"HEY!" Suen turned around just in time to receive a brutal punch in the stomach, breaking her hold. Ishtar stood quivering over her, eyes brimming with a ferocity nobody had ever seen before. She was still crying, but there was something...powerful behind them. "I told you to leave them alone!" While Suen's body was still reeling, Ishtar looked over at her friends—all of them—and shouted: "Don't just stand there, take Nabu somewhere safe! You need to warn the king about this! Go on, get out of here! I'll handle things here!"

"B...but Ishtar..." Stunned, Marduk stared at her friend, unable to process this radical change. Ishtar had always been the most carefree, bubbly, air-headed girl in the world. Violence frightened her, and conflict itself was anathema. To see her stand up to Suen—no, to this creature—all by herself...

"Just do what I said!" she roared, throwing everyone back with a gale force. She manipulated the wind with surprising mastery, carrying the entire group far away, setting them down as close to the entrance of Ba Sing Se as she could. Ishtar had never displayed that level of skill or power before.

She then turned around to face the monster her friend had become.

"Oh...that was a mistake, Ishtar. That was a VERY...BIG...mistake. Do you have any idea what you're up against? Do you have any clue about the depths of my newfound power? I am the Avatar! You're nothing but a weak, sniveling, spoiled, cowardly girl; you always have been! To think that someone like you would be anything more than a minor nuisance—"

"Shut up!" she screamed, brimming with righteous fury. "I don't care about any of that! You're going to give us back our Suen, even if I have to pry her away from you!" The creature laughed darkly, raising a hand crackling with energy.

"Ohohoho, it's so adorable that you think you can—" Suen was instantly blasted away by the force of a hurricane, skidding and bouncing along the ground until she came to a rough stop. Ishtar, her hair billowing in the wind, eyes brimming with tears, approached her with the conviction of a warrior queen.

"I told you to shut up!" Stunned, and a little surprised, the creature slowly sat up, rubbing its bruised face. She hadn't expected such a furious onslaught from the meek girl. Not a mistake she'd make again.

"Okay...have it your way, then." The entity blasted the earth apart with a searing shockwave of air; Ishtar batted it away effortlessly and soared into the sky just as the rent earth was flung at her. She sent down a shredding tornado, ripping the projectiles apart; Suen's body leaped out of its way just as it tore into the ground. She called forth intense flames, stretching them into immeasurably long columns and raised them to the sky; Ishtar diverted them, cleaving them in twain, then shot down, building up an immense pocket of air around her, smashing it into Suen's body. The attack was so large that even the creature controlling her could not avoid it.

As it bounced along the ground, Ishtar returned to the surface, drew the air around her hands, and formed them into long whips. With her feet only just skittering against the grass, she raced after the creature and tore into her, missing on the first strike but whirling around for a second. Suen weakly countered with a water wall, but it was cleaved in half; Ishtar whipped again, blasting stone projectiles as they were thrown, then threw a gust of air at the debris, pelting Suen mercilessly. Another whip strike unbalanced her, and a gust of air threw her against a tree, where a second gust followed, shattering the tree to pieces and sending Suen crumbling to the ground.

Whatever monstrosity had taken over her body now fought with superhuman endurance and ferocity. Two spires shot out of the ground, wreathed in flame, but Ishtar pushed them aside before they got close. The creature slammed her palms into the ground and summoned a hundred spires, spewing fire onto them all, and flung them in a relentless hailstorm. Ishtar glared.

"Not very creative, are you?" She instantly erected a bubble of air several atmospheres thick around herself, then multiplied her air-whips a hundredfold, the blades blurring as they destroyed Suen's salvo. A shredding tornado came after her, but Ishtar's eyes glinted at the challenge, and she held firm. She launched the bubble at the tornado, dispersing it with an earth-shattering explosion, then raised her arms to the sky. Suen saw an opening and shot a torrential flood, but Ishtar took a deep breath and bellowed as loud as she could, parting the waves with her breath. She then thrust her arms downward, the accumulated force of many atmospheres pressing down onto the tiny Suen like a slab of granite crushing a fly.

Suen recovered faster than any human could possibly hope to, blasting elements at random. Ishtar dodged out of the way, shoving herself this way and that with quick bursts of wind, or shielding herself with an impenetrable wall of air. She skidded across the ground, unbalancing Suen as she guided the wind beneath her feet, lifting her off the ground, spinning her around and around. Suen fought with her own air-bending, regaining her posture and firing a quick barrage of water-needles. Ishtar diverted them with a wave of air but got pierced by two. Finally seeing blood, Suen moved in for the kill, ripping up the ground Ishtar stood upon. Ishtar was caught off guard for a moment but regained her composure gracefully; however, she didn't have time to return fire, and got knocked in the head with a solid block of stone. Her hand barely managed to wave away a wall of fire before she sought respite underneath an air dome.

"Just so you know," the creature spoke, "I may not feel any of this pain, but your friend Suen does! Can you imagine the kind of trauma you're causing her? Every blow, every burn, every bruise, every drop of blood spilled... It's all on your hands, Ishtar. You'll end up killing her long before I expire, and a corpse can serve my ends just as well!"

"I see," she muttered, wiping the dirt from her face. She spat as the air around her crackled. "I guess it's a good thing I've been holding back all this time." The currents surrounding Ishtar built up enormous static energy. Most fire-bending masters know that, with enough skill and power, they can form bolts of lightning and bend them to their will—but that ability was not exclusive. Charges of electricity sizzled and popped around Ishtar, and while Suen stood mesmerized with this unusual feat, she unleashed it upon the creature. The energy was nowhere near the level a fire-bender could demonstrate, but it was sufficient for Ishtar's purpose, and struck Suen with just enough force to seize her muscles and render her temporarily immobile.

Whatever had control over her body was still moving it, and was even still attacking, but the efforts were feeble. Issuing an apology, Ishtar now formed an air bubble around her friend, and carefully drew the oxygen out of it, creating a miniature vacuum. Suen's eyes bulged, and she struggled to breathe. With her body rendered mostly inert, the creature could not escape, and even it was powerless against asphyxiation. The body dropped in a lifeless heap, the eyes glassy and dull. Fearing she had gone too far, Ishtar dispersed the bubble and fretfully put her fingers against Suen's throat, feeling for a pulse. For a terrifying moment, there was nothing.

"Please, Suen," she whispered, tears in her eyes, "come back to us. You're stronger than this. You're better than this! Please!" Relief washed over Ishtar as she felt a timid thrumming, and she released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She wanted to get back to her friends, and was especially worried about Nabu, but there was no telling how long this thing would be unconscious. She had some ribbons, but they were a poor restraint; she didn't even think chains could hold this monster. All the same, she found two trees closely intertwined and air-lifted Suen into their shared canopy. It was tricky trying the branches around her using nothing but air, but Ishtar's perseverance yielded a crude cage. She used one more moment to stare up at her friend, offering a prayer and apology before jetting off towards Ba Sing Se, a gale at her heels.

…...

Landing face-first at the gates of Ba Sing Se was hardly the most dignified way to return, but the girls shrugged it off. With Marduk and Makoto bearing the wounded Nabu between them, they confronted the guards and begged to be allowed inside. Needless to say, the city watch was shocked at what they saw, but they understood that time was of the essence and let them through (it helped that they recognized four of the girls as close confidants of the king). One of the guards escorted them to the nearest clinic, and Ami took over immediately once they were inside. Marduk and Nergal refused to leave Nabu's side, so Makoto, Minako, and Rei rushed out to find Mamoru.

Ami had to explain to Marduk and Nergal that they'd just be in the way, so they found a private room where they could sit down and wait. Time seemed to drag on interminably as Marduk and Nergal hovered in that quiet space. There was nothing to occupy or distract themselves with in the room; they could do nothing but sit, or pace. Finally, Marduk couldn't take the silence any longer, and sat next to her red-haired companion.

"What if she doesn't make it?"

"Don't say that!" There was a pause.

"What about Ishtar?"

"Don't even think about it!" Another pause. Nergal was crying. Marduk wished she could do the same, but she felt sick and hollow. One of their friends was on the verge of death, another had been overtaken by a monster, and another was fighting her, just to buy them all some time. Suddenly the fragility of their tight-knit group and the uncertainty of their future struck Marduk, and she put her arms around Nergal. They held each other for a long time.

"Sorry," Marduk whispered at length. "I'm just scared. All of this seems so unreal." Nergal simply nodded, choking back her tears. Marduk decided that the other girl had been crestfallen long enough, and needed to take her mind away from gloom. "So...um, back there...you called me your best friend. Did you...mean that?"

"Of course I did!" she insisted. Their eyes met; desperation and terror brimmed in Nergal's tears. "I mean, who else is there? Not that the others aren't good friends and all, but...I like you the most."

"But you're always teasing me and saying the stupidest, most immature things..."

"Yeah, I...I do that with people I like." She sniveled, wiping her face. Marduk took a tissue and gave it to Nergal, who made short work of it. "And I'm gonna keep on doing it," she said, her face glowing with love, "because your reactions are always so hilarious. Y-you can m-make me...s-smile and laugh and...feel better about myself and the world, j-just by being you! A-and...when it looked like I w-was g-going to k-k-kill you... I've never been so f-frightened in all my life! I knew that if I...were to ever bring any harm to you, I'd n-never forgive myself!" She sniffled and blew her nose again. Marduk was stunned; she didn't know what to say. She chose to say nothing.

"I'm sorry for making a spectacle," Nergal whispered after collecting herself. "It all just came pouring out of me, and I couldn't control it, but I think it needed to be said. I...I don't have anybody else outside of you guys. I'm afraid for Nabu and Ishtar and Suen, too...but more than anyone else, I don't want to lose you." Nergal stared at her closest friend intensely, and once again, Marduk was dumbstruck. Rather that grasp for anything to say, she offered a slow smile, scooted closer, and shyly took her hands. Nergal didn't have anything left, so she just held onto her friend, feeling helpless and yet oh so blessed.

…...

Makoto, Minako, and Rei found Mamoru in deep discussion with Nephrite and several other Generals. He was glad to see that they were all well, and regretted he had no time to spare for a reunion, but the entire city was being braced for an unknown (albeit certain) threat. A few of his Generals and advisors were questioning his decision, as it came off nothing more than the word of a girl and an old man, but Mamoru trusted Usagi implicitly—and besides, considering all the previous attacks and encounters that had taken place over the last few months, an extra degree of caution was always prudent. Besides, he added, Usagi was the Avatar...and there was another guest whose insight was just as good.

"May I introduce Setsuna Meioh," Mamoru said, presenting the lady. She bowed, offering a mysterious smile. None of the girls had ever met her before, but there was something familiar about her, something they couldn't quite place. Perhaps in another time, another world, another life...

"I won't ask for your trust, ladies," she said. "You have already placed your faith in his highness, and in the Avatar, and that is enough for me. Simply understand that I am on your side in this struggle, and I shall remain so in the struggles to come...though in truth, you are more on my side."

"What does that mean?" Makoto said. Setsuna's eyes twinkled with a strange light.

"We have the same goal, for the time being, or perhaps I should say the same desire." This answer wasn't entirely satisfactory, but they pushed through, as there were more important issues to discuss. They told Mamoru about Suen and the others, distilling their encounters up until their current status. Mamoru agreed to treat Nergal, Marduk, Ishtar, and Nabu as guests—but as for Suen, he hesitated, glancing away to stare ominously out a window. Rei swallowed nervously at his silence.

"Mamoru, you said that Usagi was here, right?"

"Yes," he replied slowly, "she arrived before you, along with Lady Meioh and Lord Mariner. I'm sorry that you missed her; I know she would've been elated to see you all again."

"What do you mean, 'missed her'? Where is she now?" He pursed his lips and closed his eyes.

"She left on Avatar business. This time, though, she had company: Lord Mariner and a boy named Anshar went with her. He could not guarantee her safety, though." The girls looked at him, and at each other, their faces creased with anxiety. His grim expression matched theirs as he braced for what was to come. "Right now none of us are safe. We are beyond certainties now. We can only act, and hope."

"What can we do to help?" Rei said.

"If I may?" Setsuna interjected. "I would like to visit Nabu first. Perhaps I can offer her some aid. I would also like to know for certain if Ishtar is safe." Mamoru stared at her quizzically; he hadn't expected Setsuna to express such concern over two total strangers. Then again, her motives had always been unclear, albeit for good thus far. He decided to trust her, and sent the girls to accompany her. Ami was still hard at work trying to heal Nabu, but the stone spear had penetrated deep, slashing open her liver. Nabu had lost a great deal of blood, and though Ami was skilled, she doubted even her mother could do much better.

"Is she going to make it?" Makoto pressed. Ami stared tersely at her patient.

"I honestly don't know. This goes beyond anything I've been trained to heal. Her internal injuries are what concern me the most. If my mother were here...a-and probably three or four more healers...and if w-we had plenty of time to..."

"Time is my specialty, Miss Mizuno," Setsuna stated. She asked to see the patient, which was highly irregular, but Ami was desperate and running out of options. Setsuna studied the gaping wound and the sickly-pale girl for a moment, then gently placed her hands over the injury. An eerie greenish-white glow emanated from her body; her eyes flashed; the entire room went dark. A low groaning sound gurgled from Setsuna's throat; her brow furrowed; Nabu twitched. To everyone's amazement, the hole in Nabu's body gradually shrank smaller and smaller, the skin and flesh stitching itself together. Finally, the hole closed, but Setsuna's body continued to glow and tremble. Little by little, the color returned to Nabu's face, and she began breathing regularly. Setsuna let out a sharp breath, and the glow was gone, the room brightened, and everything was back to normal.

"Whoa," Minako whispered in awe. "What was that?"

"Time-bending," Setsuna answered, her voice thick and strained. "It was the only way she could have been saved. I had to reverse time around her so that the injury never took place. Of course, focusing time around only one person and not all of existence is meticulous and exhausting work, so I'm a little tired." She looked more than "a little" tired: her whole body was shaking, she was perspiring and breathing heavily, and her swarthy complexion had gone pale. She was given a seat and some water, and the girls were left to marvel at what they had seen. Ami took a moment to examine her patient, and despite everything she knew about medical science, was forced to declare her healthy. She, too, wandered off to have a moment to herself.

"We should probably go," Makoto suggested. "The city's going to need us."

"You guys go on ahead," Minako said. "I'd like to stay behind and make sure Ami's okay. I'll also let Nergal and Marduk know what's happening, and Ishtar too, when she comes back." The girls agreed, and Makoto and Rei left her in the clinic. She studied Setsuna for a few moments, still perplexed and amazed at what she had witnessed.

"I'll be fine," the lady assured her. "Go see to your friend. She could use someone to listen to." Minako smiled faintly; as she left, she noticed the clinic door opening, ushering in a panicked, frantic, dirty blonde, who rushed over to Nabu's side, tears in her eyes. Minako's face brightened as a gentle hand rose to wipe the tears away, and knew that they'd be all right. She found Ami outside, staring off into the sky, oblivious to everything save the thoughts in her head. Minako quietly sidled next to her and gave her a friendly nudge.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes Minako, I'm all right. I'm just a little jarred from what happened...and a bit tired from everything that's been going on...and more than a little nervous about what we're about to face."

"That's understandable," she replied, casually placing her hands on her head. "It's definitely been a crazy week for everybody. I wish we had the time to catch up."

"We will, once we're finished with this latest crisis," Ami said, putting on an optimistic face. Minako studied her for a moment, reflecting on how very steadfast the petite young woman was. She'd be hard-pressed to believe this was the same meek, self-effacing girl who stammered her way into their group not so long ago.

They shared a comfortable silence for awhile.

"Oh," Minako said, "before I forget, did anything ever happen between you and that girl you had a thing for?" Ami stiffened, the memory of her bittersweet experience coming back full force. She blushed a little but felt a bit gloomy, too.

"Ah...y-yes, um... Well, I managed to confess my feelings to her, and..." Minako jerked to attention but her enthusiasm was wasted; she didn't need to pry to know how it all turned out. Seeing her friends hurt over failed attempts at love was just as bad as feeling it herself.

"I'm sorry, Ami. I was really rooting for you." Ami nodded somberly. Then, all of a sudden, her face brightened.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. I'm still glad I did it, even if it didn't turn out the way I was hoping." Minako smiled serenely. That was some form of happiness, at least, and more than most people could claim.

"So who was it that you liked? Maybe I can still talk some sense into her."

"Don't bother," Ami grinned, "I'm really fine with it." Minako shrugged.

"If you say so, but at least satisfy my curiosity." Ami giggled quietly and shut her eyes, fully at peace with herself.

"If you must know, it was Makoto."

"MAKOTO?!" Minako almost fell over; she had to struggle to stay upright. "You mean our Makoto? Makoto Kino?"

"Um, y-yes, why?" Dejection set in. What a tragedy!

"Oh, Ami, I'm so sorry! Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've told you she was engaged! Gah, why didn't I see it before? I'm such a blind, stupid, idiotic numbskull!" She beat herself on the head with her fists, which Ami naturally couldn't allow. She restrained Minako's arms and begged her to stop.

"Minako! Minako, please, stop! It's not your fault! It's nobody's fault! We just had a misunderstanding! Really, Mina, it's fine! I'm FINE with it." Tears streaming in her eyes, Minako looked into Ami's face, seeing nothing but the same kind, gentle, quiet strength that always seemed to grace her features.

"Ah...are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, silly!" she laughed. She caressed the other girl's face tenderly. "Who did you think I was talking about?"

"Rei," she sniffled, causing Ami to turn a little pink. Minako noticed and decided to break it to her immediately: "It turns out she's not interested, either. Sorry about that."

"Oh. Darn." She laughed, and Minako laughed, too. Warmth and love emanated from Ami. "You are so good to me, Mina."

Minako sniffled and wiped the tears away. "A...and y-you're good, too—for putting up with me, even when I act like a dummy and can't seem to do anything right."

"Oh, Mina," Ami sighed, "I like you just the way you are." The two girls stared at each other, inexpressibly happy, content to do nothing else. Sapphire jewels glinted and reflected each other; they leaned in, sharing in their warmth, their fragrance, their apprehensive breath...

Minako cleared her throat. "W-we...should probably go and help the others. I-I mean, with the city and...all." Ami found it difficult breaking out of her reverie.

"Hmm? O-oh, right, yes." They smiled bashfully and parted, Minako gaining some distance. She stopped and looked back.

"Keep me company?" Ami beamed and walked up to her.

"I'd love to."

The end of "The True Hero"

Next time: "Heart"