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

5: A Respite, and Then...

The girls never would have guessed that the most difficult part of their journey to Omashu would be actually entering the city. Thanks to recent events, security checkpoints for all major roads and cities had increased in size, frequency, and scrutiny. Usagi was used to this, and still had her all-purpose passport, but Minako had some issues getting through, and Rei was flat-out troublesome. Artemis needed to be registered and quartered in a stable, then Minako had to purchase a travel vista, an obstacle she hadn't prepared for. As air-benders frequently went about without cash, she was obliged to take a part-time job as a courier to pay for it, which was common for her people (having a flying bison meant her services would be in high demand). Rei had a passport, but all checkpoint guards were authorized to detain and interrogate anyone from the Fire Nation, be they refugee or resident, beggar or prince. Since Minako was temporarily engaged with her new job, and Rei was stuck in customs, Usagi was forced to enter the city on her own.

Grand cities such as Omashu are always changing, even over the course of hours. Familiar shops shut down, houses get new owners, streets are built, fountains dry up, parks are peopled and emptied—but they very seldom change. Usagi had only been away for less than a year, so in spite of all the minor additions and unfamiliar pieces, Omashu was unmistakably Omashu, and her memory and love of it hadn't diminished. Her first destination was a shop she had frequented every time her family drifted through, Osaka Jewels, and she knew the path there well enough to traverse blindfolded. It was still standing, thank goodness, and still surrounded by all the other shops she knew. The only change was a nearby park with a theater built in.

"Huh, that's new," she remarked as she went inside. There was a familiar woman at the counter, her hair like a crisp autumn morning, and her eyes just as clear. Her congenial smile livened as she recognized her latest customer, and the two found each other in a long-overdue embrace.

"Usagi! Back so soon?"

"Ah, yes ma'am, sort of." The older woman, the proprietress Maiyumi Osaka, caressed Usagi's face as she gazed into it.

"My word, Usagi, you look awful! What in the world happened to you?"

"It's a long story," she muttered, smiling grimly. "Is Naru around?"

"No, I'm afraid she's still in school. Oh, but I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you again. Come over here and we'll have a chat. I have some leftover breakfast if you're hungry." The glazed expression on Usagi's face was answer enough, so after some buttered toast, eggs, a slice of ham, and milk, Usagi went over everything that had transpired the last few days. She originally wanted to spare no detail, but customers kept interrupting her, and eventually Maiyumi asked that Usagi summarize her narrative. Even with that, it was two hours before she finished, and quite a lot to take in. Maiyumi honestly didn't know what to say—except...

"If you need a place to stay, you know you're welcome here. I'm sure Naru wouldn't mind sharing her bed with you—and I've got couches for your friends to sleep on."

"Thank you, really," she sighed. "I didn't mean to impose, but..."

"Nonsense. We'd never turn you away, especially not when you needed it. It's the least I can do." Maiyumi smiled warmly, another gift that was sorely needed. She still had work to do, so she excused herself and invited Usagi to rest—but first loaned her some money to buy new clothes. After washing up and changing her outfit, Usagi felt better than she had in...oh, ages it seemed. But now what could she do? Rei was stuck at the checkpoint, Minako was working, Naru was at school... She decided to walk around Omashu and reacquaint herself with its wonders. It would be a good way to pick up on current events, and she might even learn what happened to her family.

After stalling at a few...well, stalls, Usagi's first destination was Juuban Junior Academy, where Naru attended. Usagi had never been inside any academic facility longer than two hours (both by choice and circumstance), but from what she heard, she would probably hate it. A lifetime of wandering the world, following all the latest news stories, was probably just as good an education, if not better. Still, there was an attractive charm to it, particularly when it came to friendships...and maybe relationships that went beyond that. More than one of the male students made her seriously reconsider her earlier judgments.

Naru's mother promised to make dinner for everybody, but that still left several hours where Usagi's voracious appetite would go unattended. She had just enough leftover money to scrape together a snack, so once she got her fill of wandering around trying to eavesdrop on the local gossip, she ducked into several stalls and compared their prices. One of them was offering an unusual special: a free meal to anyone who came in with a bundle of firewood. Usagi could only find a single log, but that was apparently sufficient, and she got a steaming bowl of plain ramen.

"So what's up with this weird special?" she asked the owner. "Are you out of firewood or something?"

"Oh no, we have quite enough to last us. A young lady, about your age, came in here earlier this morning and offered to chop our firewood for us in exchange for food. Well, once she finished her breakfast, several other people came in, so she offered to pay for their meals as well. Eventually, she agreed to work for anyone who visited, and she's been here ever since."

"Really? That's...generous of her." The man nodded.

"She claims it's part of her earth-bending training. Frankly, I don't understand the connection, but it seems to please her, and it's certainly pleased my customers." Usagi pondered over this strange behavior as she ate, until curiosity got the best of her. She asked if she could meet this extraordinary girl, and was led to an area out back, where a tall brunette stood before a tree stump, a large pile of chopped wood to her right and a smaller pile on her left.

"Where's her axe?"

"She doesn't use one," the owner said. "Watch." The brunette took a log from the left pile, placed it on the stump, raised her arm, and with a single deft stroke, split the log in two.

"Whoa," Usagi whispered in awe. "She did all that with her bare hands?" As if in answer, the woman cut another log apart, without the use of a wedge or blade. The owner left Usagi to return to his work, while she watched in rapture. The tall girl noticed that she had an audience, and smiled humbly.

"Hello there."

"Howdy! You're amazing!"

"Not really. I only cut two seventy-five today. Yesterday I got up to four-hundred."

"Do you do this sort of thing a lot?"

"I just started this week. I was at the bakery yesterday, the butcher's before that, and the smith's for two days before that."

"I hear you're an earth-bender. Is this part of your training?"

"You could say that," she smiled, wiping her face off with a towel. "I'm not very good at it. In fact, I'm probably the worst earth-bender this kingdom has ever seen. Maybe the worst in history."

"Aw, come on, don't say that."

"You want proof?" she smiled, her emerald eyes flickering. The girl got into a classic earth-bending stance, one even Usagi had mimicked at times, shuffling her feet and thrusting her left arm out. She managed to kick up a tiny cloud of dust, which she whisked aside with another thrust. "That's about the extent of it," she said. Usagi grinned.

"Hey, that's more than I can do! I can't bend at all."

"Yeah, well...some people out there expect me to. I figured I could get better after some training."

"Makes sense. So how does chopping wood correlate?" The girl just shrugged.

"It keeps me focused, it's good exercise, and I get to help other people."

"Thank you for that, by the way." The brunette winked and resumed her "training", chopping one log after the other. Her accuracy was remarkable; the seams split very evenly. A professional with good tools at their side could scarcely do better. Usagi picked up one of the logs and took a closer look. She felt along the cleft; it was almost as smooth as a finely-polished table.

"I'm Usagi, by the way." Another log was divided.

"Makoto. So what brings you here today, Usagi?" The other girl grinned sheepishly.

"Do you really want to know? It's a long story."

"I have nothing but time on my hands. Well, time and splinters."

…...

Minako got to like her job as a courier so much, she stayed on long after she had paid off her visa: not just because they would need the money, but she had no reason to stop so long as Rei was occupied (well, that and at least three of her coworkers were easy on the eyes). For her part, Rei was extremely fortunate. The Earth Kingdom was presently not under any obligation to arrest their western neighbors, or even to detain them without good cause. Despite being a member of the royal family, Rei was (after some time) free to come and go as she pleased, and was even granted diplomatic immunity to ensure her stay would be a smooth one. She was warned, however, that the guards would not tolerate any misconduct on her part.

"That was most aggravating," she sighed to Minako as they met up, relieved to finally walk the streets of Omashu in peace. "I understand why they're doing it, and I know I got off easy, but still. Anyway, I don't suppose Usagi let you know where she would be?"

"Nope, and I haven't seen her since. I got a good view of the city from above, though."

"Another aggravation. Maybe we should split up and look for her. I can check all the restaurants."

"I'll look around all the hotels. She said she knew people here, so maybe she already found a place to stay."

"Good idea. We'll meet up back here in three hours." They were about to part when a nasally voice called out to them:

"Pardon me, ladies, but I couldn't help but overhear that you're looking for a place to stay." They turned to see a boy about their age, his hair unkempt and frazzled, his eyes clouded behind oversized glasses. He smiled expectantly.

"No," Rei answered. "I mean, we are, but we're looking for someone first."

"If you're lost, I know where all the popular meet-up places are."

"I think we're good," Rei said brusquely, and turned away. Minako held her back.

"(Come on, Rei, this guy might be useful. I say we ask him.)"

"(You go do what you want,)" she hissed. "(He looks like a creep to me.)"

"(Just humor me for a second.)" Then, to the boy, "Okay, we've decided! Maybe you can be useful to us."

"Of course I can, I have connections all over the place. It's like I always say: 'if it's not in Omashu, then it's not worth knowing about.'" It soon became clear that he worked for the tourism and travel agency, because all the "hot spots" he spoke about were famous landmarks, fancy restaurants, expensive hotels, and traps for an unsuspecting public with cash to burn. Minako pestered him about the more secluded, out of the way places, but the boy knew his business, and listed off several locations where a smaller crowd might gather. He knew Omashu well, even going so far as to correct one of the complimentary maps he gave them.

"This street's blocked off because of construction," he pointed. "They moved that fountain two months ago; I told my boss we need to update these things. Oh, and there's a theater in that park now. Our budget's a total joke."

"Could you get us into the royal palace?" Minako said casually. The young man gave a start.

"Ha! Not a chance! I could escort you right up to the gate, but after that, good luck!"

"Are you sure there's not a secret entrance we could use to get in there? It's actually very important."

"That's what they all say," he remarked, and Rei was inclined to agree. Minako pouted.

"But is there?" The boy shrugged.

"Probably through the sewers. There's always a secret entrance through the sewers."

"Hmm, we never used that one," she murmured. Before anyone could ask her what she meant, Minako asked about local hotels and restaurants, then gave a description of their friend on the off chance this boy had seen her. Surprisingly, he perked up.

"Wait, are you talking about Usagi Tsukino? Is she back already?" The two girls stared at each other incredulously.

"Um, yeah. Do you know her?"

"Of course I do! We used to be quite a hot item!"

There was a dead pause.

"Well, we were very close friends, at any rate. ...I mean, we hung out together. ...I guess you could call her an acquaintance. ...We spoke! Sometimes! We knew each other's names at least!"

Minako and Rei were still staring incredulously. Rei just decided to power through it.

"Look, do you know where she might be?" The boy polished his glasses nervously.

"Probably at Naru's. That's where she always went every time she visited. Um, would you like me to show you there?"

"That would be helpful, thanks." The boy put away his shattered pride and led the way through Omashu. Ms. Osaka was there, anticipating the arrival of Usagi's friends, but Usagi was not. Rei frowned impatiently while Minako crossed her arms.

"I feel like we're being led on a wild owl-possum chase."

"I think you mean wild owl-goose chase," Rei muttered. "Anyway, Ms. Osaka, would you mind if we stayed here and waited? Usagi's bound to come back here, right?"

"Certainly, and you're both invited to stay here as long as you need to. Oh, Gurio, I'll be sure to let Naru know you were here." She winked pleasantly, causing the boy to blush and stutter. He still had work to do, so he excused himself clumsily, reminding everybody that his services were always at their command. Minako laughed pleasantly as he barreled out the door.

"He is pretty cute, in an awkward way." She and Rei took some time to "settle in" and rest—first by bathing and changing their clothes. Rei wanted to keep a journal of their activities, so she bought a scroll and supplies so she could occupy herself. Minako didn't have much to contribute, having only recently started this adventure, so she isolated herself to the quietest room and meditated. The Osaka household passed several very pleasant hours this way until Usagi came back. They didn't have too long to wait; she came wandering in late in the afternoon, alongside her friend Naru, and a little reunion was held as everyone summed up her day. Now that everyone was together and they had a base of operations, it was time to discuss their next move.

Minako claimed to personally know the King of Omashu, and since earth-benders had taken part in the attack on the tournament, Rei felt it prudent to understand his thoughts on the matter. Of course, it wouldn't be as easy as walking up to the king and speaking to him, even for an "old friend" like Minako. Still, the girls gave it a shot, and set out to try their luck. There were six guards at the palace entrance, and if they thought security at the city gate was strict, it was magnified even more here. One of the guards even hurled a stone at a passing messenger-eagle, stating that it wasn't one they recognized. Minako swallowed, but, undeterred, pressed on, making sure to bow respectively.

"The highest in me salutes the highest in you. My name is Minako Aino, from the Western Air Temple, and I have come on behalf of Sifu Kinsei to speak with the King."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, sir, we're good friends. I came here often with my father—"

"If you don't have an appointment, then you're not getting in."

"Maybe if you tell him I'm here. That's MEE-NAH-KOH AI-N—"

"At all. Ever." This checked her momentarily.

"Can we make an appointment now?"

"Certainly. The waiting time is six months."

"Ulp," she croaked. "Uh, I don't think we can wait that long."

"You're lucky the king's willing to speak to regular citizens...or outsiders...at all," the guard snorted. Rei decided to try her luck.

"Pardon me, but would you make an exception for a priestess from the Fire Nation? My father's cousin is Fire Lord Kuni."

"Let me guess: you don't have an appointment either." Rei's face twitched impatiently.

"No sir."

"On your way, then, unless this young lady wants to try her luck." All eyes turned to Usagi; she was busily staring at the gates and the structure beyond.

"Wow...you know, I've never actually been this close to the palace before. Um, sorry, what did you say?"

"Move along, please," the guard sighed. There was nothing for it, so the girls retreated. Since Usagi was still enamored with her surroundings, it was up to Rei to give Minako a questioning gaze.

"So now what?"

"Plan B, of course. There's more than one way to shave a monkey-cat."

"Wrong idiom again," Rei grumbled.

"Tsk, you know what I mean! Just leave everything to Minako! You two gather information around the city, and I'll have us inside in time for breakfast."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but...do you need any help?"

"Yeah, but you'd attract too much attention," she said, "and you're too unfamiliar with this area. Besides, I'm going to need someone on the outside in case I botch everything up."

"That makes me feel confident," Rei grumbled. "But who else do you have in mind?" Minako cackled quietly: serendipity had been very kind to her that day.

…...

"Let me get this straight: you—want to go on a date—at night—with me."

"Yeah, of course." Minako smiled cheerfully at Gurio, the boy she and Rei had met earlier. "Is that so hard to believe?" Gurio almost felt like the question had answered itself.

"You—Minako Aino—want to go out—with me—Gurio Umino—on a date. With ME."

"My answer's still the same no matter how many times you ask," she giggled. Gurio removed his glasses and wiped them clean, then rubbed his addlepated forehead.

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"You. WITH ME."

"Is there another Gurio Umino?"

"No, but...did you lose a bet or something?"

"No," she laughed, "I really wanted to go out with you. I don't know anybody else who lives here, and I certainly don't know anyone who knows where everything is. That is your job, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but...I mean, it's just that...girls usually don't ask me out on dates! They really don't talk to me at all." She winked at him.

"Then they don't know what they're missing. I must be very lucky!" She took his arm into hers, smiling sweetly all the while. His entire face flushed crimson.

"W-w-w-w-w-well okay, th-then! W-w-w-where d-do you w-w-wanna go?"

"The palace!" she pointed, leading him there. "I'd like to take a long walk around the outer gates. It'll be so romantic, especially in this moonlight! I hear there's even a little pond in the rear where we can sit and listen to the firefrogs."

"Yeah, that's true, but, um...well, I mean, if you insist!" He laughed uncomfortably as they strolled down the darkening streets, one perfectly at ease with her company while the other was so inebriated that he could barely walk. It was true; Gurio had about as much luck with the ladies as he had at bending: which is to say, none at all. Usagi had been more of an acquaintance who tolerated his eccentric behavior, while Naru...well, she was nice, but she tried being nice to everybody. Having Minako practically throw herself at him, for no apparent reason, was more than enough to overwhelm his capacities.

By the time he came to his senses (or near enough), they had approached the palace gates and were circling it with patient, appreciative strides, as any couple might do to pass a romantic evening. Minako asked him questions about the palace, and Omashu as a whole, which kept him from slipping into euphoric dementia. As Gurio was describing the origins of the city, a lull fell in their conversation, for they had arrived at the firefrog pond, and their song was certainly worth the effort to hear. They stood together, alone in the moonlit darkness, raptly entranced, forgetting everything for a few tranquil moments. Then...

"Welp, time to sneak into the palace."

"Gyeh-huh?" Gurio stumbled as Minako stretched her arms and approached the rear gate.

"Yeah, there should still be a secret entrance somewhere around here. Not through the sewers, but close enough. Motoki and I used it to sneak out all the time. I remember because we always stopped to listen to the firefrogs." Gurio stuttered and rushed after Minako before she could do something dangerous.

"Bah-bah-buh-buh, are you crazy, you can't sneak into the palace, there are guards everywhere, we'll be imprisoned or killed or banished forever, at the very least, plus it's getting very late, I don't think we should do this, maybe we can go have dinner or...or, uh...Miss Aino!" Minako had already boosted herself onto the gate with a gust of air, and knelt down to help her date over.

"(Sssh! Not so loud! Now hurry up and follow me. It takes two people to get in there.)"

"But couldn't you..." He stammered and lowered his voice. "(Why are you involving me? I don't want any trouble!)"

"(Sorry, you were the only other person I knew of who could do it. If it's any consolation, I had a lot of fun on our date—but now the REAL fun's about to begin!)"

"(That's not consolation at all! And I'm not getting myself in any trouble! If you had any sense, you'd—)"

"(Gurio, please,)" she implored him, staring right into his eyes. "(I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't important. I'm ready to take all responsibility for this, but in order for me to do this, I need your help. Please. I have to do this. Don't leave me out here alone.)" He hesitated for an agonizing moment, but ultimately, reluctantly, grumbling all the way, he reached up and was vaulted through. He let out a terrified sigh as he landed on the other side of the gate.

"(Will you at least explain to me why we're doing this?)" he hissed. "(If I'm going to be put in jail for life, I'd at least like to know if it was worth it!)"

"Sure, no problem," she smiled softly, guiding him to the palace. "The short version is that we're investigating that attack on the Fire Nation tournament, and we think the King of Omashu can help us. We can't get in the easy way, so we're sneaking in."

"And you couldn't...oh, I don't know...make an appointment or something?"

"Yeah, if we're willing to wait six months to get in."

"That sounds reasonable compared to a prison sentence!"

"But not when it comes to possible war," she muttered. There were still an impressive amount of palace guards patrolling the area, so Minako had to employ a little trickery to get through: a gust of wind to blind one, a breeze to rustle bushes over there, a gale splash in the lake, her voice carried to the opposite side of the gate... Gurio was too paralyzed with fear to let out a sound; he feared getting caught, staying put, moving about, making sounds, not making sounds... But Minako knew her way around, and they made it to the rear palace wall without incident. There, she pressed her hands against the seamless masonry, feeling her way slowly. She came to a stop, let out a soft cry of satisfaction, and pushed, revealing a revolving wall. Gurio was beside himself with awe; his jaw hung to his knees.

"We're not finished yet," Minako said, pulling him through. She made sure to close the wall behind them, encasing them both in blackness. Gurio fretted—this was actually worse than the threat of death or capture—but Minako had navigated this passageway countless times, and knew it well enough that she didn't need light. She took Gurio's hand and asked that he follow; she led him through a long, straightforward passage, until they came to an intersecting hallway that cast piercing rays of flickering light. The torch on the wall was blinding, but Minako wasn't interested in that: she knelt down and opened a loose grate.

"Through here," she said. Gurio swallowed.

"Uh...m-me first?"

"No, you'd better follow me. I know how to get through." She wedged herself through the opening, muttering about how this was an easier task in her younger, slimmer days. Gurio hated the thought of wriggling through that dark, damp, claustrophobic tunnel, but reasoned it was better than being left alone, so he forced himself to follow. The tunnel was just as direct as the passage, with only slight turns here and there. Minako looked behind her to make sure that Gurio was doing all right, and smirked.

"Say...you're not staring at my butt back there, are you?"

"W-WHAT? N-N-N-N-NO MA'AM I'M NOT!" She giggled.

"It's okay, you can't help it. I'd probably be staring at yours if I was following you. It's nice."

"TH-TH-TH-THANK YOU..." he croaked, nearly dead with humiliation. She decided to stop teasing him and pressed on. The tunnel eventually ended in another open room; they hopped out and wiped their clothes clean. Minako guided Gurio to a small bridge over running sewer water, then compelled him to press his hand against a dim wall. She positioned herself fifteen feet away from him and did the same.

"Do you feel a depression in the stone? Push that. This is what I brought you down here for. The wall won't revolve unless you push both switches, and they're too far apart for one person to reach. The idea was that, if someone needed to escape, there'd be someone with them, like a guard or a servant. You can get to them from both sides of the wall, but you'd need to know exactly where to look. Most people would be searching for hours."

"I see," he replied quietly. They pressed the switches at the same time, and the stones raised themselves, revealing another opening. There were two more rooms with two more walls like this; Minako directed her companion through them without any hassle, and even took time to relate all the misadventures she had had with the royal family. Of course, back then, she had been able to go through the front door whenever she pleased, but whenever she, or the prince, or his sister wanted to get away from royal responsibilities for awhile, they would take this secret passage. The fact that she knew the entire path by heart was a testament to the number of times she had corrupted the prince into disregarding his duties.

"Last one," she announced as they came to an anteroom. Gurio knew what to do by now, but was still hesitant.

"Where does this lead?"

"To the king's library. There's another that leads to his bedroom, but I thought it would be better if we took this one."

"No kidding," he gushed, having no desire to imagine what might've happened if they had taken that path. The last door revolved for them, and blinding light overcame them. They stepped through, into the most massive and lavish library Gurio had ever seen. There were two floors, and nearly the entire room was devoted to shelves and shelves of tomes, scrolls, records, documents, tablets, and recordings of all kinds. Braziers were positioned around the room, enough to give off sufficient light but not enough to cause any damage if they were ever knocked over. A large desk sat opposite the doorway, filled with papers, ink, pencils, pens, stamps, maps, wax, and the sealed leftovers of a snack. Gurio was perfectly content to browse, but Minako ignored everything and headed for the door. She opened it, attracting the attention of a passing guard, who pointed a spear at her and sounded the alarm. In no time at all, they were surrounded by halberds. Minako grinned helplessly as Gurio cowered.

"Uh...radish delivery?"

The end of "A Respite, and Then..."

Next time: "Friends in High Places"