A long time ago, the Avatar disappeared without a trace, and with the absence of any successor, the world was gradually thrown into chaos. Governments became unbalanced, spiritual and natural disasters spread, and war sprang everywhere.
In the face of this unprecedented crisis, Fire Lord Kuni declared that he would assemble a party to search for this Avatar, but many nations feared this as a prelude to more aggressive actions, and moved to subdue this threat. Amidst the chaos, two young women managed to escape, and embarked on a long journey that would hopefully lead them to the new Avatar, the only one who could restore order to the world…
AVATAR
The Celestial Sailors
BOOK ONE: CHAOS
3: Thunderbird of the West
The darkness faded as abruptly as it had fallen when Usagi woke. As her mind slowly adjusted to the radical shift, she first took in the overwhelming light. It was well into the daytime; she must've been unconscious for hours. Next, she took in a strong breeze; she must've been outdoors on a very windy day. It felt as though she were at sea, for her body swayed and rocked, up and down, and not unpleasantly—but there was no fragrance of sea air, no cry of gulls, and certainly no water lashing and splashing in the wind. So where...
She sat up and noticed she was sitting about a mile or so above the ground. Huh.
...Wait a minute.
A MILE ABOVE THE GROUND?!
Usagi screamed and flailed, fully awake and terrified. She barreled through a silky yellowy barrier that parted from the slightest touch, into a more solid body that yelped on contact, before being repulsed off her perch and sent hurtling into the unforgiving abyss. Her scream was lost in the rushing roar of wind and the sickening descent. All sensations were gone; she only knew merciless emptiness and impending destruction. She hyperventilated, eyes wide with horror, flailing at the formless sky.
"Yip-yip!"
And just as suddenly, her plummeting was slowed as something clutched onto her outstretched arm. She was thrown onto a soft and solid surface, still screeching and gasping, senseless with panic. It took awhile for her to realize somebody was talking to her.
"Whoa! That was a close one! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. Are you all right?" The sound of another human voice—an unfamiliar voice—did little to calm her agitated state. Scrambling around trying to get a grasp of whatever surface she had been put on, Usagi ran into a bizarre creature, its mouth nailed grotesquely onto the forehead, its eyes dangling morbidly near the chin, its nose twisted inversely. It took her a moment to realize the person was simply smiling at her upside-down.
"Howdy!" said the owner of the strange voice. The golden barrier Usagi had burst through earlier fell between them, temporarily masking the face. "Hey, who turned out the lights?" The creature parted the shimmering curtain—her hair, it seemed—and smiled again. Usagi jerked back, still very unnerved. She stared intently at the face hanging in front of her, and the face stared back, gregariously quizzical. Slowly it dawned on Usagi that this golden-haired creature was floating...and bore the telltale symbol of the air-benders on her forehead and hands.
"Um...hi."
"Yes we are." They continued staring at each other, the air-bender hovering upside-down, as if that were the normal way to meet new people. Usagi calmed down a little, though she still wasn't sure where to begin with this one. The creature sensed her anxiety and laughed, revolving until she was sitting properly.
"Sorry, I guess I got turned around during that last fiasco. My name's Minako, and this is Artemis." She patted the mass of white fluff they were sitting on; it was a flying bison. So that explained what they were doing up in the air, and why the ground was so soft. Usagi shakily introduced herself, and Minako bowed.
"What are we...um...doing here?"
"Well, there's lots of ways I can answer that, Miss Usagi. Right now we're meeting each other for the first time, riding my pal Artemis, on the way to the western air temple, so I can present you to the other monks, because they're on the lookout for refugees from the Fire Nation's tournament."
"Wh...what?! You're turning us in?!"
"Yeah, basically," she replied bluntly. "Ever since we got word of that tournament, we've been sending out patrols to keep an eye on things. Something unfavorable must've happened, because we heard there had been an attack, so we got orders to hunt down and scoop up any fugitives. I was around Wu Song when all the hullabaloo you caused went down, so I followed you and waited until you were alone. Artemis saw his chance and plucked you up, and here you are." Any fear Usagi might have experienced earlier was completely eclipsed by this new danger. All of their attempts to escape from their mysterious attackers had been in vain, and whatever fate awaited them was now unavoidable. She honestly didn't know how to react, so she wept.
"Ah...but...but we...um..."
"Yeah, I guess things look bad for you. I don't know how else to put it. At least you know what you're in for, or would you rather I spring it on you at the last minute?"
"Th...that's not the point at all! We were hoping we'd be able to make it to an air temple safely, so we could get away from all that! And now..."
"I can definitely promise your safety," Minako said. She stroked her bison's fur affectionately. "Artemis and I will make sure nothing happens to you on the way. We have plenty of food and water here, and there's no more comfortable place to sleep. I can't promise anything beyond that."
"But we're innocent! We didn't have anything to do with...whatever you or the air-benders or anybody is accusing us of!"
"I honestly don't know all the details, either," Minako offered with a gesture. "I was just told to be on the lookout for people that were causing trouble. It wasn't difficult figuring out what you two were doing in Wu Song. Oh, speaking of which, maybe you should wake your friend. It's going to be a ways yet, and it's best if both of you understand what's going on."
"I'm already awake," Rei said. She was still curled up, and appeared for all the world to be asleep. She sat up despondently, but with dignity. "Usagi's screams woke me. I decided to keep still so I could learn what was going on. I thought I could take you by surprise and overpower you if I waited for the right opportunity, but...that wouldn't be a good idea, would it?"
"Not unless you know how to work with a bison. And even then, Artemis wouldn't follow your commands. If anything happened to me, he'd make sure you'd regret it."
"So there's nothing I could have done, and there's nothing we can do, except wait."
"You can eat," Minako offered with a smile. "And we can talk. I can put in a good word for you two if I get to know you better. Besides, I want to hear your side of the story." Everything was happening too quickly for Rei to process. She drew in a deep breath and was just about to summon her priestess's discipline when she noticed that Usagi had already taken Minako up on her offer, and was cramming food into her mouth. A vein of frustration popped on Rei's forehead.
"Usagi!"
"Hey, she offered, and I'm starving! When...hummnnumh...wuff fah uhhft oim you...hmm, nnnm, oh, that's good...effin ate?" [Translation: "When was the last time you even ate?"]
"At least chew your food first! Don't you have any manners at all?!" After Usagi choked back the better part of Minako's packed lunch ("Th...that was supposed to feed six people for two days," she had remarked in awe), she was finally satiated enough to chat with their "captor". Usagi told of how she had been with her family at the time of the tournament, but was separated during the attack. They traveled all over the world, reporting on whatever news the countries had to offer, never resting in one place for too long. While this certainly afforded her an unparalleled opportunity to see all of the world's grandeur, and learn about all of its history, cultures, and people, it also meant she had no concept of "home", no complacency, no permanence, no real structure.
No way to make lasting relationships with other people.
"The longest I've ever stayed in one place was four months, and that was a long time ago, when all the world leaders got together for their conference. You know, about the Avatar."
"Oh yeah, I remember that. I went to that, too. I don't remember seeing you there, though."
"I went to it as well," Rei said. "It was filled with people. I doubt I'd recognize anybody that had went there. So you don't even know where you were born?"
"I was born on the road," Usagi said. "Well, technically, mom and dad were sailing when I was born. They said they were about three days out of Whaletail Island, either inbound to the Fire Nation or Omashu."
"Right smack dab in the middle of nowhere if I know my maps," Minako noted. "Wow. Even the air-benders aren't that nomadic. Don't you ever hate not having friends?"
"I got used to it after awhile," Usagi grumbled. "But...yeah." Minako regarded her silently before turning to Rei. She had gathered quite a lot of moss as a fire priestess in training, but said little about court life, preferring to keep it a secret. Rei kept her guard up until Minako noticed they were closing in on the temple, and didn't fully relax until the other girl focused on landing. She nudged close to Usagi and whispered to her:
"(Don't tell anyone I'm related to the Fire Lord. If these monks find out about that, we'd be in even more trouble.)" Usagi nodded grimly, and hung on as Minako and Artemis made their descent. The skies around the western air temple were unusually clear that morning: even from a distance, they could distinctly make out the mountainside it had been built on, the golden gleam of its rooftops, the faint silvery wisps of air bisons, the glimmering rivers...
"Hold on tight!" Minako exclaimed, as Artemis went into a dizzying downward spiral, around and around and around, not unlike a falcon. Usagi, when she wasn't clutching on for dear life or trying to keep her breakfast from vacating its premises, figured she was doing this just to show off—or disorient them—as she had seen and ridden bisons that could land vertically. Around and around and around... They were certainly in no shape to escape, fight anybody, or even walk, once they had landed; naturally Minako was fine. She flew out of the saddle and gave Artemis a big cuddle, while her passengers staggered out dizzy and groaning.
"What's with you two?" she said, unashamed of the salt she was spreading. "There's no time for a nap. Stand up straight and follow me."
"Just tie a rope around my feet and drag me," Usagi groaned. Rei, at least, managed to stand. She still had to support herself against the massive bison—and anything else she stumbled into—but she picked Usagi up and helped her shuffle off after their captor, who half-encouraged, half-teased them to catch up.
This marked the second air temple Usagi had visited, and the first for Rei. As much as they all had similarities—the training grounds for young monks, the small living quarters with sliding paper doors, the large courtyards for games, the great statues of long-dead masters, the bell towers, the pools of clear water that cascaded down and further down into other pools, the gardens and orchards—they were just as distinct. The Northern Air Temple, the only other one she had visited, was wedged deep into Earth Kingdom territory, and as such, it had many earthy influences in its structures. The Southern Air Temple had good relations with the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation, so it chose to decorate its more elaborate pieces with sapphires and rubies, or carved images that could be ice in one light and fire in another. The Eastern Air Temple had a thing for graven images of Spirits; this one, it seemed, liked to keep with its roots. Among the tapestries and sculptures depicting air bisons, Rei and Usagi noticed images of birds, dragons, bats, insects, and several chimeras, a zoologist's treasure trove.
Minako paused before a grand tapestry hung over a yawning archway that led up a long flight of stairs, and bowed reverently. The image of a half-bird, half-serpent had been masterfully woven into the fabric, and the sun pierced through a layer of clouds in the background. The air-bender's script was etched in a less prominent part near the bottom.
"They say that those who are born under the sign of the Thunderbird are destined to enjoy full, meaningful lives, but they must first experience unprecedented perils," she said.
"I guess you can't have one without the other," Rei remarked. Minako smiled softly at her.
"I guess not. So what celestial bodies were you two born under?"
"The Inflamed Stallion," Rei said, not without some pride. "It's supposed to represent war and intense passion."
Usagi sulked. "I'm the Jackalope. I got stuck with the loser."
"You got stuck with a good one,"Minako beamed. "The Pronged Hare is very closely associated with Tui and La. His speed, alertness, and clever thinking made him the messenger of the spirits, and also one of their chief physicians."
"Yeah, well...I still say it's weird for something that small to have antlers." Ascending the stairs led them to a large circular outdoor chamber, where a small number of older air-benders were already gathered. Upon seeing Minako, they either bowed or stretched their hand out, palm open, their index finger pointing up. She returned all their respective gestures; so far, nobody was casting a suspicious eye or a dirty look on their guests. The worst they got was an appraising gaze.
"Halt!" That all came to an end as five shadows weaved overhead. They were monks on gliders, and masters of their trade from the look of things. They all descended in unison, three men and two women (one woman was completely bald), glaring with an impenetrable countenance at the three girls. Even Minako seemed a bit put off.
"Oh, hey guys. Did you all have any luck? I found some people around Wu Song."
"You did well, Mina," one of the men said, approaching her. He placed a hand on her shoulder but did not smile. "Did they offer any resistance?"
"No, sir, Artemis and I took care of it."
"Very good. We were not as fortunate. We captured many more attempting to escape, but could not bring any of them back as prisoner."
"Oh." Her face turned gray as the meaning of his words settled in. Rei and Usagi exchanged a disquieting look. "Um, so...do you mind if I ask what this is all about?"
"Patience. The Master will explain everything." The monk glanced over at Minako's "prisoners". "What are their names?"
"Give us your name, cloud-master, and we shall give you ours," Rei announced tartly. The monk glared; even Usagi and Minako cast her bewildered looks. The monk grunted, and introductions were made: he was Ao Xhu, and—
"Wait," Usagi snickered, "your name's Achoo?"
"No: Ao Xhu."
"B-bless you," she snickered. One of the female monks perked up.
"Yes? My name is Blie Xhu. I'm Ao Xhu's sister."
Rei started to snicker as well. "Seriously?"
"Yes. Why is that so funny?"
"N-no reason." They smiled at each other and shared a loud laugh, quickly breaking the tension. The door to the circular room opened as they were settling down, and a huge mountain of a man, bearded bald and boisterous, came through clapping.
"All right, where are these dangerous cutthroat prisoners my daughter's captured?"
"Sifu Kinsei!" The five monks bowed.
"Sifu Father," Minako said, also bowing. The large man's brows furrowed.
"Minako, how many times have I told you not to address me like that? It's Sifu Daddy."
One of the monks snickered. "Sorry," he muttered as the others stared at him. Rei and Usagi were not amused.
"We're not dangerous, and we're not cutthroats. We were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. I still don't even know why you're treating us like prisoners."
"Because, young lady," the large man said, his face flickering grimly, "in case you haven't been paying attention lately, there's been a great deal of unrest between the nations these past few years. It was bad enough when the previous Avatar vanished without leaving any apparent heirs, but now the Fire Nation's mustering a large number of warriors. That doesn't sound very innocuous to me."
"Fire Lord Kuni was just holding a tournament," Rei muttered defensively. "He wanted to assemble a team to discover where the new Avatar might be."
"And went about it in perfect peace," Kinsei noted ironically. "Or is that how matters are ordinarily conducted in your country?" Rei pursed her lips.
"It...was a special thing," Usagi stammered. "This isn't exactly, uh...a normal circumstance..."
"No, it isn't, which is why everyone's on edge. We Air Nomads generally stay out of those affairs—"
"But they were there at the tournament attacking people!" Usagi's outburst was louder and echoed longer than she had intended; she blushed at the silencing effect she had had but stood her ground. "I mean...there were people there from all three nations...attacking people." Kinsei grumbled softly.
"I can't speak for the Earth Kingdom or the Water Tribes," he said, "nor can I condemn or condone any business conducted by other Air Nomad temples. They all apparently interpreted Fire Lord Kuni's actions as a declaration, or at least an intent, of war, and reciprocated. Those attempting to leave the Fire Nation's borders under suspicious circumstances are to be detained, and that's where we are now." He raised his hands in a conclusive shrug, and there was silence for a long time. Rei crossed her arms, insulted and defiant but ultimately helpless; Usagi hung back, fidgeting.
"So what's going to happen to us now?" she asked. Kinsei extended his hand.
"For now, you are our guests. We shall keep you and care for you until this matter is resolved."
"We're not your prisoners?"
"Air-benders keep no prisoners."
"So we could escape."
"Not unless you could climb down a sheer rock wall," snorted one of the monks. "And don't even think about stealing one of our bisons. They're all too loyal and well-trained to listen to anyone but us."
"But we're still stuck here," Rei emphasized. Usagi tugged at her elbow, feeling somewhat more optimistic.
"We were heading towards one of the air-bender temples originally, right? To try and unravel this mess. At the very least, we'll be safe here."
"Yes, you're right," she sighed, loosening a little. "I just don't like being so...helpless about it."
"Maybe there is something we can do," Minako said. She asked her father and several of the monks to convene privately in another room with her, and it took little time or persuasion to do it. Rei and Usagi shared a curious expression. The discussion went on longer than their comfort could endure, but in time they all returned: Minako looking pleased with whatever result she got, while most of the monks were considerably sterner. Kinsei's expression was illegible.
"Well, my daughter has used my own words against me," he sighed, rubbing his large, bald head. "Since we are unsure what the motives were behind all of this, and since fellow air-benders were involved, she has suggested an investigation. If the scale of this aggression is to be believed, then perhaps we have just cause for concern; so, she will be heading out, and she has asked-against the better judgment of several of her peers-that you two accompany her."
Both Rei and Usagi's faces lit up in surprise. "Um...really? Us?"
"She convinced me that people who had personally witnessed the events in question would be better traveling companions. Personally, I think she just wants to make new friends."
"My opinion was better, Sifu Father," she pointed.
"That's Sifu Daddy," he snapped. "Regardless, it seems you'll be traveling together for some time, so you may want to get some rest before heading out. Tomorrow at dawn would be the best time."
"Dawn?!" Usagi whined. "Why so early?" The other monks snickered—not at her whining, but that she would think such a time was "early". Rei gave her a smile that wasn't entirely sympathetic.
"Get used to it, bun-head. It's either that or wait here for goodness knows how long—and they'll want you to wake up even earlier if you stay."
"It's true," Ao Zhu said. "We always rise long before the sun." Usagi deflated with a groan.
"Will I at least get breakfast?"
"Of course!" Kinsei laughed, pounding on his large belly for emphasis. "We never let our guests go hungry! Speaking of which, our dinner takes place at the sixth bell. Why not spend some time acquainting yourselves with my daughter in the meantime? After all, you're going to spend lots of time together!"
…...
Despite having seconds, thirds, and a respectable dessert, Usagi was groaning with hunger pangs. She wondered how any human being could survive by eating so little—not imagining for a moment that she had devoured the air-bender equivalent of a full-course banquet three times—and wandered around in search of snacks. Rei, who was considerably more refined (not to mention restrained), kept an eye on her to make sure she didn't do anything foolish. The last thing they needed was for their hosts to distrust them more than they did. It was a fine, quiet night, starlit but chilly. Rei amused herself by studying her surroundings, and sometimes the sky, trying to relax as she strolled through an air temple for the first time. As inviting as the air-benders were, outsiders didn't usually frequent these sacred places, and even though she was royalty, she appreciated the honor.
Even if the circumstances of her arrival were hardly "honorable"...
Usagi forgot about her appetite momentarily as they found themselves at the bison stables. She fearlessly went up to one, squealing and cooing, and though it brayed at first, she was quick to make friends (the two shared an insatiable lust for food and were thus easily bonded). Rei smiled at her change of attitude and only shifted her stance as Minako wound around a corner and waved at her.
"Yo! How was dinner?"
"Remarkable, thank you. I was expecting nothing but seeds and noodles."
"Yeah, well, Blie Zhu works wonders with what she has. I hope it didn't bother you that we don't eat meat."
"I usually don't indulge, either, unless it's fish. I get the feeling that Usagi was too hungry to be picky."
"Looks like she still is," Minako laughed, watching as the other girl fought over a squash with her new friend. She lost and backpedaled into a pile of hay for her troubles, then started all over again as an eggplant vine was being slurped away. The round went in her favor, but then a new game started: a handful of monks that had warmed up to her ditzy charms started launching fruit and vegetables out of a large sling, which the bisons would fly after and snap up in mid-air. Usagi got fairly good at the game, drawing a cheering crowd and even winning the camaraderie of Artemis. He nuzzled her after catching a particularly plump pumpkin, presenting her with a prize that was more symbolic than edible.
"Ugh, a brace of carrots," she sighed as she distantly dangled them. "Thanks."
"Ah, so there is something you won't eat," Rei teased. "Wonders never cease."
"Hey."
"You know," Minako pointed, "with that hairstyle of yours, you'd look just like a rabbit. But I guess that's fitting!"
"Don't tease me about that, either," she grumbled, batting her long golden tails away. "It was bad enough being called bun-head and meatball-head growing up."
"Oh? I'll have to remember those!" Minako winked at Rei and the two girls had a good laugh at Usagi's expense. She bit off a huge chunk of a radish and guzzled it down indignantly, choking only twice. Minako became quietly sober, though.
"So, tomorrow: what's our first destination?"
"Good question," said Rei. "Going back to the Fire Nation would be suicide. The Earth Kingdom isn't too far away."
"I might have family in Omashu," Usagi added. Minako stared.
"You 'might'?"
"Extended family, maybe, way back on my mother's side...I think. Like an eighth cousin four times removed or something."
"Usagi, you just described literally anybody," Rei said impatiently. Usagi grinned sheepishly, but Minako shrugged.
"It's as good a place as any to start, and I have a few friends in Omashu. It shouldn't take us more than a few days on Artemis." She looked at Rei, smiling. Rei really didn't have any better ideas.
"Omashu it is, bright and early tomorrow morning."
Which was odd considering they ran into a heavy rainfall less than an hour into their journey.
"This sucks," Minako grumbled, and Artemis agreed with a groan.
The end of "Thunderbird of the West"
Next time: "Inopportune Rain"
Author's note
"Kinsei" is the Japanese name for the planet Venus (literally "gold star"), so...
