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
22: Life Will Change
Even with the last vestiges of Vainamoinen's song dissipating, Apsu bent over wheezing and snarling, trying to recover from the blow she had been dealt. Vainamoinen lay where she had pinned him, a pole of pulsating energy impaling him to the ground, tendrils sparking with obsidian light. All was still in the Spirit World, silent save for the gruesome hum of her energy and the gravely gasps she drew.
"Fool," she snarled, too weak to pretend at airs anymore, "this accomplishes nothing. You have aggravated and delayed me, nothing more. Whatever pretense at pain I may be experiencing will be long forgotten when at last I scour this world of its repulsive life and reclaim it."
"And how will you do that, Apsu?" His voice, feeble though it was, still carried a melodious authority in it. He coughed quietly, eyeing her with a patient, and if she didn't know any better, an amused stare. Apsu's breathing settled a little, and if she could perspire, she might have wiped a sheen of sweat from her brow. "Surely," he added with a few bloody coughs, "surely not through your avatar?"
"No," she answered, cold and quiet. "The girl was merely a means of me finding Raava's vessel so I could snuff her and Vaatu out. If I could have done it without her, then I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of such a pantomime. As for the rest of the world, I merely have to call forth the Everlasting Army." Vainamoinen winced, mostly from pain, but partially from anxiety. He knew full well what the Everlasting Army was, what it could do, and how it operated. What he didn't know was why Apsu had waited until now to call on it. He decided to ask her.
"Why do you think I'm even bothering with Raava at all? As long as she held some form of resistance, I couldn't tap into the vast wellspring of energy needed to call forth such a force. But with her occupied with my little Suen, I'm free to conduct my affairs. Were there...any other questions you had? Any...last requests?" Now fully recovered and once again reveling in her inevitable victory, Apsu approached Vainamoinen, glowering over him in sickly glee. His world began to fade as he looked up at her.
…...
Mamoru was busily preparing Ba Sing Se's defenses when a patrolman came running up to him, his voice steady even if his composure wasn't.
"Your highness, I'm Chutaro of the fifty-third division. We've spotted a large mass of unidentified creatures approaching the southwestern area of the wall. They have not responded to any of our calls or warnings." Mamoru glanced over at Nephrite, who pursed his lips. He then looked back at the patrolman.
"Thank you for the report, Chutaro. Inform your commander that the king wishes all available forces be put on full alert. Secure any civilians and prepare to defend the city. The thirty-seventh and eighteenth divisions will be reinforcing you, so coordinate with them. Dismissed." The patrolman saluted; as soon as he left, two more came storming in, one from the main northern defense and the other from the northeast. They both gave the same report as Chutaro's: large masses of creatures were approaching the city, disregarding any attempts at communication—peaceful or otherwise. Mamoru gave them the same orders, and asked them to relay the information to all command posts. The message was clear: Prepare for Battle.
He just wished he knew who—what they were fighting.
He still had a lot of preparations to make when the reports came in that the unidentified force had numbers beyond counting, covering the width and breadth of the land as far as the eye could see. They were now very close: slow, but persistent, and any killed by a stray arrow or stone were replaced tenfold. Mamoru's face tightened; his time was up. There was nothing to do now but defend Ba Sing Se. He looked to the four girls who had fought alongside him and had accompanied him through many perils. He knew how they would respond to his request even before he asked it:
"My friends, thanks to your efforts, this kingdom has been given a better chance for survival. Now I must beg you to help improve our odds. I have sent a company of my best soldiers to the secret entrance that Fire Lord Kuni once used, along with General Nephrite, which leaves the front gate as the only other access point. Will you help me defend it?"
They all smiled, nodded, and rallied to his side.
"You can count on us," Ami stated boldly.
"Lemme at em'!" Makoto roared.
"Oh HECK yes!" Minako cried.
"Whoever they are, we'll make them regret ever coming here," Rei added hotly. Mamoru smiled, and together, they hurried to the enormous gate that had withstood time, the elements, and hundreds of invasions. They were already being opened, thanks to some advance orders, countless gears and levers and benders working together in unison. The keepers were a little surprised to see only five people going out—they had expected a legion of King Endymion's finest—but Mamoru assured them that every soul marching out from that gate accounted for ten times their number.
"Don't flatter us too much," Makoto smirked. She caressed the large gate as she passed through it, and a thought crossed her mind. "Hey Mamoru, you've got ballistas, right?"
"Yes, why?"
"Could you arm the ones pointing out the main entrance with wooden artillery?" He looked to the gatekeepers.
"You heard the lady. Tell your commander that on my signal, launch wooden stakes from the ballistas. Cut down the mightiest tree in the city if you have to!"
"Oh, and arrows," she said, stripping off the bark and limbs from a nearby pear tree. "Lots and lots of arrows!" She quickly fashioned the bark into body armor and cut a heavy quarterstaff from the limbs—all with her bare hands. Mamoru nodded.
"Arrows, too, as many as you can fire!" The gatekeepers saluted and rushed off to deliver the message—then, the enormous gate ground to a close behind them. The approaching army was now so close that Mamoru could see their silhouettes on the horizon. In no time at all they would overwhelm the five defenders, and the city. Ami stared at the approaching legion in awe.
"By the spirits, look at how outnumbered we are..."
"I know," Minako whispered, equally amazed. "Just think of all the songs they'll make about this!"
"I hope we're around to hear them," Ami murmured ominously. Minako beamed and placed an assuring hand on her shoulder.
"We will be. Don't forget, Usagi's out there fighting the real battle. We're just here to hold down the fort." Everyone prepared themselves for the onslaught. Mamoru erected huge walls while Minako called a whirling orb of air to her palms. Rei ascended one of the walls, preparing to snipe the enemy as it came near. Ami was too far away from a body of water to be effective, so she brought jars and flasks with her; she opened one and sprayed the air with a heavy mist, concealing her allies. As soon as the first of the invaders came within firing range, Rei summoned the energy inside her and loosened a curling serpent of flame. It incinerated the invaders instantly; they stopped shuffling and broke into a run. Mamoru threw a red flower-shaped stone into the air, signaling the archers. The sky blackened as countless bolts leaped over the wall and perforated the advancing forces, missing a few but mowing down many more. They kept running.
"Okay, ladies," Mamoru called, unable to fight the spreading grin on his face, "it's party time!"
It's not a game
I'm not a robot
A.I. challenging you
I'm not a phantom
I'm in your face and
I'm here to see it through
Rei clapped her hands together and called forth the largest wall of fire she could produce, shaping it into a firebird and guiding it through the swarm. Her arms waved and thrust from the safety of the wall's parapet, controlling the screeching fury as it burrowed into the masses. As it was consumed by their sheer numbers, she drew her hands into a wide arc, calling two lines of fire to connect them, shaping it into a bow. Still maintaining its shape, her right hand ignited three arrows; she pulled back, loosened, and repeated at will, scorching dozens in rapid-fire succession.
Minako hurled her air-orb into the army, shooting dozens into the misty air, where they were caught by Ami's fog and shredded to pieces as she solidified the haze into daggers. Minako threw two more orbs before the creatures fully closed in on her and she could get a good look at them. The first one was so hideous that she immediately cleaved it from head to toe with a razor wind; the next three were no less bearable. They were vaguely humanoid-shaped, featureless faces mounted atop bodies that looked to be constantly melting and oozing. They made a nasty gurgling sound whenever they shuffled around, and a howl when they were struck: Minako back-flipped out of their way, sending a shockwave that cut them apart. Whatever they were made of, it wasn't very sturdy.
Ami emptied one of her flasks on the ground, bending the water until it was underneath a large mass. She waited until more of the creatures clustered before lifting the water into the air, upturning it, and slamming it into the ground, flattening them all. She called out spires and spikes from the remains, breaking two off to form a sword and shield, then kept her distance and carefully picked them off one at a time. Despite her care, Ami was quickly overwhelmed, and felt sharp pain as the monsters smothered her.
"Ami!" Minako disengaged to help her, but checked herself as a whirling water-whip surged out, skewering some and repulsing others. Ami emerged and wasted no time slicing through the throng, pausing only to catch her breath and wipe a bit of hair from her eyes. "Oh," Minako squeaked, "never mind." She turned around to face the enemies she had left behind, Ami fighting beside her, jets of water billowing in the breeze, razor-edged snowflakes shredding in a storm, rainfall perforating in gales and squalls. They paused to assess the carnage and smirked at each other.
Right before your eyes
Watch us multiply
Come to claim our rights
It's time
As our power grows
Tryin' to stop us shows
Might as well go try'n
Stop time
"We make a good team!"
"That we do. Watch it!" Ami spun around to throw a quick gush at three of the creatures, but her movement was unsteady and she stumbled. She threw her arms up to absorb the blow but still landed very ungracefully, face in the dirt and rear in the sky. Minako's eyes bulged: her friend's posterior was pointed almost directly at her. She leaned in—to check on Ami's condition, of course! Not to get a better view, obviously.
Well...maybe both.
"Uh...are you okay?" she croaked, trying hard not to stare. Ami rolled over, ending the free show. She winced and rubbed her forehead.
"Yes, my elbows took most of the fall. Ah, Mina!" The air-bender was too preoccupied with Ami and her...ah, less wholesome traits, to notice the creature sneaking behind her. Rei blasted it with a firebolt but the impact knocked Minako forward. Luckily, Ami's body broke her fall. Unfortunately—perhaps—Minako's chest landed only a few inches away from Ami's head. Her eyes bugged out, too.
They looked at each other awkwardly. Neither really felt like moving much.
"Uh, sorry," Minako squeaked.
"Eh, it's all right," Ami croaked. They blushed at each other, oblivious to everything else.
"Are you sure you aren't hurt?"
"Ah, n-no, I'm fine. Wh-what about you?" Minako grinned sheepishly.
"I'm all hunky-dory!"
"Hey, you two can flirt later!" Rei shouted from above. "Right now you need to focus on the fight!"
"I resent that!" Minako answered, jumping back to her feet. "I'll have you know that love is the ultimate battlefield!" She helped Ami to her feet and quickly blasted foes with several devastating air blasts.
"B-besides," Ami stuttered, blushing as Rei's accusation took over her thoughts, "w-we weren't flirting!" She put up an ice-shield and shoved several enemies away, where Makoto's wrath awaited them. She was still blushing as several more creatures sprinted after her, howling and babbling. She fired a few water-bullets but couldn't stop thinking about how Minako felt, pressed against her, her scent and her warmth permeating. She quickly stole a glance around, watching the young woman dancing and flailing, her long golden hair flickering in the wind, eyes merry and smile infectious. Minako eventually stopped what she was doing and looked back. Ami blushed hotter than before and jerked around.
Come on, Ami, focus! Now isn't the time! Besides, Mina's just a good friend! A very beautiful, very funny, very warmhearted friend who's always encouraged you, has always been honest and open with you, genuinely listens to you, and always makes you happy. And she likes other girls. And she's single.
"So what if we were?" Ami shouted, partially at Rei but mostly at herself. "There's nothing wrong with a little friendly banter on the battlefield! It helps alleviate the pressure!" She lashed out violently, cutting down clusters of monsters with huge sweeps of water, eyes sharpened and firm. Ami cleared out close to thirty before the path was open, huffing and puffing and daring anyone else to make a move. Minako was certainly impressed.
"All righty then!"
So you know that we're out there
Swatting lies in the making
Can't move fast without breaking
Can't hold on or life won't change
Makoto was already tearing up the battlefield with her quarterstaff, shaping it into spikes or blades or enormous clubs as needed, layering it to deflect blows, even extending it to wipe out huge swaths at once. Her armor was becoming threadbare quickly, though, so after a few more blows, she abandoned it completely. Luckily, there were hundreds of arrows embedded into the ground; she scooped up two armfuls and stitched them together to form a pair of wings, looping them around her arms and body. Nodding to Mamoru, he called a stone pillar under her feet, shooting her into the air. With a little help from Minako, Makoto glided over the battlefield, flinging pieces into the fray. Mamoru tossed her stones, which she also threw; even Rei chipped in, setting the projectiles on fire, raining destruction everywhere.
Mamoru mostly focused on defense, walling off huge sections of the invading army and forcing them into tight corridors so they could be mowed down by one of the girls. Sometimes the enemy would make piles of themselves against the walls, either to climb them or topple them over, but he just tipped the walls over and crushed the hapless creatures. Even with all this, the enemy never seemed to diminish; in fact their numbers appeared to be growing by the minute. The girls soon found themselves cut off from each other, despite all their efforts; now it was a question of how long they could survive before they were completely overwhelmed. Rei was forced to abandon her post, and tried scorching a path to Makoto or Mamoru, but the crowd was impossibly thick: burning one layer of foes merely caused the ones behind them to crowd forward. She was starting to feel tired when the enemies suddenly stopped in their tracks; in a flash, hundreds fell, giving her some breathing room.
"Sorry for the delay," called a mature woman's voice. The girls felt elated as Setsuna ran into the fray, armed with her long metallic staff. She balanced it defiantly against the horde.
And our voices ring out, yeah
Took the mask off to feel free
Fought it out in the debris
Now we know that life will change
"Actually, you're right on time," Makoto smirked. Setsuna mirrored her bravado.
"I do my best. What's the situation?"
"Oh, you know," Minako called, thrusting dozens of creatures into the sky and flattening them again. "Overwhelming forces, impossible odds, the fate of the city and possibly the world at stake..."
"Then let me see what I can do to rectify that!" Setsuna leveled her staff and flickered into action, shifting in and out of time to cleave through the enemy ranks. Some she slowed so the other girls could take their time leveling them; other times she sped them up so they would collide into a wall, or a fireball, or merciless frost. Manipulating time, even in short bursts, took a physical and spiritual toll on her, and before long she was perspiring and breathing heavily, her balance greatly upset. She stumbled as two foes got a lucky shot in; Makoto threw a barrage of arrows at them while Minako flew in and helped her to her feet.
"Thank you," Setsuna gushed, flustered and weary. Minako winked.
"Gotta shape up there, girl, if you wanna be part of our team! We don't allow any slackers!"
"Part of the team, eh?" Setsuna chuckled softly to herself and closed her eyes, dwelling on the idea. Ah, if only they knew... But now wasn't the time to reflect. She girded herself and found her second wind as Mamoru and the girls joined her to renew the assault.
"Together," he said, and they nodded. All six of them struck at the swarm with renewed vigor: searing waves of fire ripping the hideous creatures apart, immense boulders flattening them by the score, gusts of wind slicing them to pieces, arrows shredding them apart, fog coalescing into an iceberg and grinding their numbers into dust, the merciless fangs of metal biting with unrelenting hunger. They kept marching. The girls and Mamoru fought hand-to-hand: Makoto tossing them one after the other or breaking them against her knee, Rei striking with practiced accuracy, Minako a blur of weaves and dances, Setsuna flailing and kicking with effortless grace, Mamoru methodically striking and charging; even Ami's clumsy punches and shoves knocked a few down. They kept marching. Mamoru slammed his hands to the ground, summoning the largest wall his strength could offer, and with a mighty shout, knocked it over, smashing hundreds upon hundreds of the monsters. The battlefield cleared, but they kept marching.
They were surrounded in no time. Bruises formed and blood sprayed. Clothes were ripped, hair yanked and torn, bodies beaten. They kept marching. Minako repulsed them with blast after blast of air; Rei put up walls of flame. They kept marching. Ami ran out of water, Makoto exhausted the hundreds of arrows loaned to her by Ba Sing Se's finest marksmen. They kept marching. Setsuna stumbled, leaning heavily against her staff. They kept marching. Grim looks were exchanged. This wasn't even the whole army. The entire city was facing this dreadful onslaught. The girls offered a token resistance, exhausted themselves, and stood on wobbly legs as the enemy kept marching.
"Come on, Usagi," Rei muttered, her voice worn and husky from the long battle. "You can do it. We believe in you."
"I hope you're not getting tired," Makoto grunted, one eye squeezed shut from a nasty bruise. She grinned and tapped Rei's shoulder with her forearm. "Got one more round left in ya?"
"Possibly," she countered, trying to sound strong. They prepared to give everything they had for one final charge when the sky lit up brighter than it had ever been. Countless flaming meteors rained down, utterly destroying the enemy horde, wiping them out with such prejudice that the entire battlefield was cleared of them—for the moment. Everyone wondered where such a powerful attack could have come from...
"Heeeey! We're here to help!" It was Marduk and Nergal! They rode down on a chunk of the outer city wall that Marduk had "borrowed", standing before the weary warriors looking rather flustered.
"We didn't mean to be so late to the party," Marduk stammered, slouching a little in penitence. "There were...complications."
"Look, let's just drop the excuses," Nergal added. "We want to fight alongside you." She paused briefly and puffed her chest out with pride. "We want to fight with our friends." Everyone else looked at each other; Makoto and Rei marched up to them and shook their hands.
Ain't it a shame
I'm not a figment
Of your ailing old mind
I'm just as real as
I'm just as dangerous
As you will soon find
"Welcome aboard! Think you could hold them off a little while we catch our breath?"
"Can we hold them off, she says!" Marduk crowed. She grinned and took an aggressive earth-bending stance as the enemy army renewed itself. "Just watch...us...rock! ...HA, get it? Cuz' I'm an earth-bender and aaaaah, ya know what, never mind, that was dumb." Nergal snickered anyway and wreathed her entire body in flames. She dashed head-first into the cluster, laughing as the creatures tried to grab at her only to be incinerated. When Marduk gave her the word, she thrust her arms out and blasted everything around her, then launched herself into the sky, dousing the survivors with a column of fire that kept her afloat. She landed next to her friend and saluted.
"Top that!" Grinning maliciously, Marduk pressed her fists together, summoning the earth to cloak her entire body. She tripled in size, her legs like trees and her arms battering rams. She stomped into the army, effortlessly batting the hideous monsters away, kicking ten at a time, squashing the rest. She finished by launching her enormous fists into the fray, opening a wide swath, then flipped until she was balancing only on her hands, firing solid granite missiles from her feet. She dusted her hands and smirked.
"I don't think you're coming back from that," she leered smugly. Nergal scoffed.
"Watch and learn how a real pro handles it!" She blew fire in her hands, rubbed them together vigorously, bent over in a starting sprint position, and streaked furiously around the army, searing blue fire burning in her wake. When she completed a lap she leaped aside with a flourish, tossing a burning sphere into the direct center. It exploded on impact, sending waves of fire out to the edge of the circle, which she then "rotated" like a huge wheel, immolating everything. A few droplets of sweat found their way to her forehead, and she was gasping a little.
"Hmm," Marduk chirped, "not bad, not bad. But you didn't quite get all of them. As always, I have to clean up after you." She spread her arms, palms upward, and ascended, straddling a small stone platform. Perfect orbs of stone orbited her body, whirling faster and faster until they were a blur. Then, it was only a matter of propelling the platform forward and smashing everything she came into contact with. She finished by grouping all of the orbs and the platform together into a single hammer-shaped stone, crashing it to the ground and wiping out hundreds. Nergal applauded.
"Very elegant! I like the whole 'conservation of energy' thing ya got going on there."
"Why thank you. So that means I won, right?" Nergal's competitive glint turned warm, and her smile softened.
"No, I think we tied again."
"Are you sure? There's plenty left over for another round." Nergal looked out at the swelling army, its ranks replenishing at a disquieting rate. All of the work she and her friend had put into the fight was almost completely undone. Her smile faded.
A taste of your own meds
Fire in every breath
Fire inside your head
Your heart
And as your crippled brain
Tries to fight in vain
Your empire will fall apart
"Just how many of them are there, anyway?"
"I think they're infinite," Mamoru said. Nergal and Marduk looked at him in alarm; he could only offer them a grim reality. "We can't win this fight. We can only hold them off."
"For how long?" Marduk demanded. He took a deep breath.
"For as long as the Avatar needs us to." The two friends shared a worrisome expression. They then looked out at the teeming masses closing in on them.
"A losing battle, huh?" Nergal adapted a defensive stance, her hands glowing with energy. "Well, this is one fight I don't plan on losing! Are you with me, Marduk?"
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be!" she called, taking an earth-bending stance. Nergal's cheeks glowed, and she resumed the battle with renewed energy. The others rejoined them shortly, weary but determined; entropy tilted the scales against them eventually, though, and they were forced into a corner. Things looked bad until the sky darkened once again—not with multiple smaller projectiles but a gigantic one, easily the size of a tree, its tip hewn into a point like a spear. Everyone cleared out of the way as the massive missile sailed through the air and plummeted into the ground with a force even an Avatar could not easily replicate. Countless monsters were crushed underneath it, and Makoto gave a howl of victory.
"All right, I got my ballista!" She ran up to the enormous missile, easily fifteen times her height and three times her width, hopped up, and started rolling it with her feet. She bowled over countless creatures, staining her new toy with pus and ooze, saturating it until it could no longer move. Not discouraged in the least, she slammed her fist against the trunk, splitting it into four quarters, then split those quarters into quarters until she had sixteen boards roughly her size. Makoto attached two of the boards to her arms but reanimated the others into obedient warriors, sending them into the crowd to cull their numbers. The boards on her arms squashed anything unfortunate enough to get too close to her.
"Wow," Marduk laughed, "I'm so glad we never fought each other!" Makoto winked at her.
"I know, right?" Between Makoto's extensions and soldiers, the group was given a much-needed breather. Rei and Nergal covered Mamoru and Marduk as they dug deep trenches into the ground. Diamond-sharp spikes lined the bottoms of a few, while fire-pits filled in others. As Marduk dug a particularly deep ditch, Ami paused her for a moment and slid down to the bottom. She was very excited.
"I think there's an underground reservoir in here! Could you dig a bit deeper, please? Right there."
"You got it!" Marduk focused on the area Ami was pointing at, and after sifting through a few extra feet of earth, a fountain burst forth, issuing clear water. Ami laughed and rode the spurt back up to the surface, then immediately went to work repulsing the enemy army. Makoto was called back, though she kept her remaining wooden soldiers on the field. The tide has turned, and even though this was a Sisyphean effort, it didn't feel quite as hopeless. The situation took an odd turn, however, when they heard the enormous gates opening behind them.
"I distinctly gave orders to keep all entrances and exits shut and closely guarded!" Mamoru shouted. A piercing voice called out in apology as two figures squeezed through the opening, one supporting the other. Marduk and Nergal beamed for joy: it was Ishtar and Nabu!
"Sorry about that! We're here! I didn't want to, but she insisted! I told her she still needed a lot of rest, and she shouldn't strain herself, but she wanted to fight, and I couldn't say no to her..." Ishtar had to stop and catch her breath, all the while supporting a semi-invalid Nabu. The blue-haired stoic grunted, a sheen of sweat already on her strained face.
"And there you have it. I swear, I have climbed mountains that were more negotiable than this girl. The things I had to...prove to her, to show I was...capable." Nabu didn't seem capable of anything as she winced and clutched her side. Thanks to Ami and Setsuna, she had fully healed from her wound, but recovery was still a long way away. Still, her friends were glad to see them, and welcomed them without reservation.
"You're here, and that's all that matters," Nergal said. She hugged Nabu, which surprised her, and put her arm around Ishtar's shoulders. "We're glad you're safe. Thanks for having our backs, Ish. We owe you one big-time." Ishtar's lips trembled and she sniffled a few tears away. Fierce determination set in as she looked out into the mass of monstrosities marching mindlessly towards them.
"So is that what we're up against?"
"I'm afraid so," said Marduk gruffly. "This is a mountain that has no summit. Apparently, that girl Usagi is tangling with whatever monster took over Suen, and we have to hold these guys off for her."
"So will they go away if she—I mean, if Usagi wins?"
"I hope so." Ishtar glared at the creatures, adapting an unusual air-bender stance. A whirlwind surrounded her, billowing her long golden hair.
"That's all I needed to know."
And you'll know that we're out there
Swatting lies in the making
Your empire for the taking
Can't hold on or life won't change
Ishtar thrust herself into the horde, a living whirlwind shredding the creatures apart. Nabu, though still weak, called upon the fountain Ami had uncovered and launched huge ice-drills, plowing holes through their ranks. Nobody was content to sit on the sidelines and watch, so they all banded together into a single force of destructive nature, battling the creatures even as they regenerated and slowly took over. Nabu was forced to stop as a sharp pain erupted in her chest; she keeled over and clutched her wound, teeth gnashing. Ishtar took notice immediately and ran to her side.
"Nabu! Oh, I told you this was a bad idea!" Straining, Nabu gingerly rose to her feet again, though her face was twisted in agony.
"You do not...have to w-worry about m...me. Just f-focus...on..." She grunted and collapsed again; Ishtar knelt by her side, laying hands on her.
"Don't be silly! You've taken care of me my whole entire life! Now it's my turn." Nabu looked up into the eyes of her friend, shimmering with a steely resolve that very few even knew she had. It was love, as only the strong in spirit knew, unconquerable and everlasting. Nabu's features softened, and she offered Ishtar the largest, warmest, most genuine smile her strength could offer.
"Thank you, Ishtar. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Ishtar sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Enough mush already. Now stand up and kick their butts like I know you can!" Nabu grinned, and powered by her friend's love, rose to her full height, inured to the pain, and opened the floodgates of her wrath.
And our voices ring out, yeah
Took the mask off to feel free
Fought it out in the debris
Now we know that life will change
…...
Furious flames and crushing winds issued out of Suen, but Usagi and Anshar held tighter, refusing to let go. The ground beneath them quaked, buckling under fantastic pressure, creating new hills and fissures where there had once been flat earth. Usagi's face was bleeding from a stray piece of debris that had struck her, and her pigtails were now completely undone, sending her golden hair billowing uncontrollably. She was indomitable, though, drawing strength not only from her own reserves but also from all the friends and allies who were praying for her success. She continued to reach out to Suen, just as Apsu continued to draw her back—and she had saved her dirtiest trick for last.
"Face it, Suen, you've done some very horrible things. All that pain and suffering you say you've caused wasn't my doing. You accuse me of giving you grief, but think about your own actions for a moment. You can never take any of that back. You'll never be welcomed into any society. You may as well help me clean this world of all the filth—or do you think people will just forgive and forget?" Suen froze, her teeth bared and eyes livid in anguish. Apsu knew exactly which of Suen's fears to prey upon, and she had hit the most vulnerable nerve. It didn't matter if she had been possessed or not when it happened: she had killed those smugglers, had nearly forced Marduk and Nergal to fight each other, had almost killed Nabu and Keya, and had been nothing but abusive towards Ishtar. Actions like that didn't simply go away.
"You're right," Suen said hoarsely. "And I don't expect them to. I can't blame you for any of that. I'm willing to accept the consequences of my actions. But I'm doing it without you! I'm not having any part of your genocide! That's just running away from the problem, and if that's your solution, then you're even more pathetic than I thought."
Apsu cursed her, but Suen went on: "I don't want any part of you, and you're no longer a part of me. Get out of my body, get out of my head, and go back to the hole you crawled out of!"
"That a way, Sue!" Anshar shouted, beaming with pride. "You tell that ugly monster!"
"Stupid girl! I will always be a part of you! The things you did will haunt you for the rest of your life! Your memories of me will never fade! Repulse me if you will, but the world will never let you forget! You'll be a pariah for as long as you live!"
"No I won't," she growled defiantly, peering across the void of madness into the faces of her brother and the One True Avatar. "I've got the greatest little brother in the world and a new friend by my side. They've seen the worst I have to offer and are still here with me! That's a lot more than I can say about you, monster."
Apsu still fought, but now it was only a token resistance. The Primordial of creation was reduced to childlike whimpering and flailing.
"You need me, Suen. You're helpless without me."
"No, Apsu. Truth be told, it sounds more like you need me. Well, that's too bad! I command you to leave me, immediately! Oh, and don't worry if the door hits you on the way out. I won't."
Apsu was a macrobiological entity older than the world itself, imbued with the powers of creation, time, space, matter, energy—yet she was cast out of Suen with all the anticlimactic affair of a quiet sneeze. Even then, she might have done some real damage, but there more important matters to attend to, across the planes of reality to where a dying old man was breathing his last.
…...
With the Everlasting Army slowly chipping away at Ba Sing Se, Raava's Avatar weakened from her confrontation, and Vainamoinen nearly expired at her feet, it was only a matter of time before Apsu's ambitions were realized—and for a being millions of years old, time was relative, malleable, inconsequential. Whether her schemes took an epoch or an evening to bear fruit made no real difference, so long as it happened—and it would. What else was there to stop her? She said all this to the Mariner, wondering what sort of response he would humor her with.
"So you...lost your avatar, eh?"
"Yes, but as you humans are fond of saying, the barn door has shut after the deer-cow have left it. The Everlasting Army is already on the move. Vaatu is sealed, Raava's puppet can barely move after her ordeal, and you will soon find the Solution to your...what did you call it? That Final Problem? The loss of a single tool means nothing to me now. The end is at hand. You, at least, will not live to see it. I wonder how the rest of those noisome mortals will take it."
Vainamoinen coughed. "Wonder as much as you like, Apsu, it will do you no good! You will bear no more witness to it than I will." She peered at him curiously. The slightest twinge of pity creased her brow.
"Still going on about that? How do you propose to stop me, nephew? You no longer have a voice for singing." He laughed through intermittent coughs. The way his eyes twinkled was more disquieting than any open threat could hope to be.
"I plan to stop you by dying, Apsu, a facet which you have been gracious enough to provide for."
There was another foreboding pause.
"Excuse me?" Vainamoinen laughed.
"Did you honestly think I came to this Spirit World in the hopes of contesting my powers against yours? Or that I alerted you to my presence so that I could negotiate? No, no," he chuckled, coughing until he spat blood, "I set your demise up long ago. I admit I had a great deal of assistance in this regard, and cannot take full credit for the petard you have so ignorantly hoisted yourself upon."
"Speak plainly, fool!" she shouted, looming over him with all of her fury. It is difficult to intimidate the dying, especially when they know, or at least feel, they have won.
"Tell me, Apsu: where do you think you are at this moment, now that you no longer hold any sway over that poor girl?" Apsu snorted, wondering what sort of mockery he was daring to attempt. Where else could she be but the Spirit World? He only laughed again as she said this. "You are mistaken. Oh, we certainly met in the Spirit World, but from the moment you arrived, I have been drawing you into a...hmm, how do I put this? I have, ah...drawn you into my Self, as it were."
She looked confused, so (mortally wounded though he was) he tried to elaborate: "Our opening conversation was a ruse. I kept your attention while secretly bending the space around us both. You were so distracted by what you perceived to be my foolishness that you didn't take notice. I bent the space until only you and I existed, then I drew you into my Self—my soul, I suppose you could say. Luonnotar could explain it better, but put simply, Apsu, your entire Self is inextricably fused with my Self. Whatever happens to me happens to you. I could not accomplish this so long as you were tethered to that girl, so her brother and the Avatar saw to that problem—and they were triumphant. Their hearts swayed what no weapon or bending-art could. Then it was only a matter of perishing, which—as I have said—you were kind enough to contribute." He smiled sweetly at her, but she was horror-stricken.
"You lie," she whispered, no longer looming over him, nor trying to intimidate, nor even in very much control. Apsu, in fact, was backing away from someone near death, fear and disbelief overtaking her. "You don't have that kind of power."
"Oh? Then why have you stopped gloating? Where is your assurance of victory now?"
"You dare..." She crossed the distance between them in an instant, clutching a pulsating black spear, raising to strike—but checked herself all the same. Doubt overcame her, and he laughed at her in all her helpless glory.
"Strike, Apsu, strike! Become the fulcrum of your own eternal destruction!"
He was taunting her! Her, Apsu, a Primordial, immortal and all-powerful! Yet she didn't dare retaliate. She could already feel herself fading, teetering over the gulf that separates the living from the dead. She had felt this before, once, during the early ages of the world, when a Hero bound and sealed her away—only now there would be no breaking of the seal, no returning from the Emptiness. Death in the Spirit World would consign her to oblivion beyond reach, an endless Nothing which even she could never escape. Being anchored to Suen was the only thing that had kept her from this fate, but now? Now she was but a candle in the rain.
In a last-ditch effort, Apsu returned to Vainamoinen's side and put forth all her power in keeping the old man alive. She got the same results as every other mortal who had tried to suppress their final end, and could only wail as they both slipped away from all worlds forever: one to the annals of legend and song, among the valiant dead; the other, to nothing, nothing, endless nothing. He issued a few final words before passing, drowning out her fading screams:
"Setsuna, goodbye! Avatar...I am no longer needed in this world. You are! May your great heart serve it well. And...do remember: moderation in all things. Farewell!"
Anyone who happened across the spot where Vainamoinen's body sat in the physical plane saw only a pile of dust, some rotting red clothes, and a staff firmly planted into the ground, leaves slowly budding from its slender shaft.
…...
Makoto was just about to swing her fist into another hapless ooze-monster when it dissipated into smoke before her eyes. Confused, she looked around, only to see the entire army following its example. Every last one of the creatures evaporated en mass, until the battlefield had been emptied completely. Not quite grasping how all of this was happening, but exuberant just the same, she jumped up and let out a loud war whoop. Soon everyone was rushing at each other, smiling and embracing; the city let out a cheer as its gates opened and their King returned in triumph.
Suen, meanwhile, let out a short cry as Apsu was cast into the Emptiness, and fell to her knees. Her brother and Usagi kept hold of her, and comforted her as she trembled.
Sobbing.
Free.
The End of "Life Will Change"
Next time: the final chapter
Author's notes:
The song "Life Will Change", featured in Persona 5, is written by Lyn Inaizumi and Shoji Meguro—because if you're going to end something with a climactic action scene, you may as well do it correctly.