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 with their allies, 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
7: Interception
The scullery maids Zoicite interrogated were awfully persnickety. They brazenly asked what business of his was it who came and went in the kitchen, and it didn't seem to matter that he was a General, and a guest of their king's. It was an impertinent question and not even a General needed to know things like that (they said with a snort). He briefly pondered plying a different strategy, but this was a locked door, and the key had been broken. No matter; he had his retainers and the king's at his disposal; he need only ask them to find the owner of the small paper parcel. Very well. His men were loyal, and were familiar with his cause. The king's guards were another matter, particularly the Tellurians. Nearly all of them were wholly devoted but even those that might sway would not sway to his side so easily. Still, there were ways.
First, the direct approach. He went to the gate guards and fabricated a story about sending a page on an errand to town. Had anyone with a small package come that way, or might they still be wandering around the palace (they were new, this page, and very scatterbrained; Zoicite only trusted them with the simplest tasks. Yes, that would do)? But no, nobody who matched that description had left. Just the king's guest—that fair-haired girl with pigtails.
"No, she's not one of mine," Zoicite sighed, though inwardly, he was grinning. The guards had inadvertently told him everything he needed to know. "Ah well, he must still be in the palace somewhere. I'll have some of my retainers find him and set him straight." The guards saluted him; Zoicite released his patient smile and summoned a small team. He told them exactly what had happened and gave them full leave to search.
"Don't cause a stir if you can help it," he added. "If she resists, find some excuse to arrest her. Just bring her to me alive, and undamaged—or as near to it as you can manage." His retainers flashed a cruel smile before leaving, but Zoicite didn't want to leave it at that. He summoned the remainder of his retainers and told them to accelerate the plan: the king's retinue must be intercepted and stopped immediately, no matter the cost. They, too, sped off obediently, but that left Zoicite without a single servant to cater to his whims. No matter; he summoned some of the king's own and made up a story about being forced to send his people on some errands, and could they possibly scrape together a few idle hands for his needs until they came back?
For the third time in ten minutes, General Zoicite watched a group of people follow his orders, and he thought whimsically to himself, how delightful it is to be obeyed.
…
Usagi knew that she couldn't sit on that bench forever. She had to get up and do something to help the king, or at least warn him—but what could she do? Rei was royalty, and a priestess; she had influence and diplomatic power. Minako was a close personal friend of the king. What did Usagi have? Who could she talk to, with all her dire troubles? Better still, who would believe her? Naru and her mother, Umino…she didn't know anybody else in the city. Addressing the guards or the Tellurians seemed obvious, but whom among them could she trust? Mamoru, maybe, but he had left with the king. She couldn't go back to the palace anyway; she was sure that Zoicite, or one of his men, was on her trail, and she'd be caught immediately. She didn't have any money, but even if she had, there was no way of telling which road the king took. She mentally went over any possible path between here and Ba Sing Se, and came up with at least four off the top of her head. What to do, what to do…
She had almost resolved going back to Naru's and borrowing some money, when a passerby called out to her. Usagi was still fretting and pondering so she didn't see or hear them at first. The person called out again, and came up to her. She was startled out of her concerns as she beheld a tall, muscular brunette grinning down at her.
"I thought it was you! You're awfully distinct, you know—not that I'm one to talk!"
She hesitated on a name before finally realizing, "Makoto?"
"In person. You mind if I sit down? I'm beat!"
"From chopping wood all day?" she said, scooting over to make room. Makoto collapsed gracefully, a sheen of sweat covering her face, neck, and arms. She smiled.
"Nope, something even filthier: plowing fields!"
"Oh. Part of your earth-bending training?"
"Yeah, sort of. I still have to use a hoe, though."
"You can't till on your own?" Makoto winced sheepishly.
"Like I said, I can only do a little dust-bending. That might do the job if I had a few years to spare."
"Are you hungry? I have half a mashmeal I wasn't able to finish."
"What's a mashmeal?" she said, and was introduced to the concept. She finished off Usagi's offering neatly—a free meal for a free meal, as it were—and asked her what she was up to; maybe they could hang out together. Makoto didn't really know anybody in Omashu her age, so… But her tone changed as she noticed Usagi's pale expression.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Usagi took a shaky breath.
"It's…" She hesitated again, wondering if she should really tell someone who was more of a stranger than a friend, or keep it to herself and burst from the terrible pressure. The choice was nearly made for her. "M-Makoto, c…can I trust you with a really, really, really big secret?"
"Um, sure," she answered stiffly. "I mean…how big is it?"
"Huge. Historically huge."
"Oh, wow." She took several breaths and braced herself. Usagi was too frightened to be anything but succinct, and in less than five minutes, Makoto knew just as much, and she was just as shaken. "That's…ah…wow. I…don't know how else to say it. But you weren't kidding."
"So you believe me?"
"No actor I've seen is half as convincing as you. Besides, even if you're wrong, I don't think the king would fault you for looking out for him."
"There's just one problem," Usagi grumbled: "I have no idea how I'm going to warn him."
"Oh, that's easy. Come on, follow me." Makoto led her through the city to the messenger hawk aviary, where she was greeted by name by the present postmaster. She claimed to have done them "more than a few good turns", which only made Usagi wonder as she approached one of the hawks and stroked its neck. Even the birds here knew her well; one of them perched on her shoulder and watched as she wrote a message.
"Air bisons are fast," she said, "but nothing beats a messenger hawk. Can you read?"
"Of course," she said, even though she couldn't read this particular script. It must have been an obscure cipher, or a code, to be that unfamiliar to her. Well, so much the better: maybe only the king himself would understand it. In any case, the bird received the message and the mission, and was off like a shot, soon little more than a speck in the sky.
"So that's it?" Usagi said.
"That's our best shot, but I'm not going to leave anything to chance. This sounds intense."
"What are you going to do now?" Makoto smirked at her.
"Have you ever ridden a donkeydillo before?"
The donkeydillo stables had been relocated since Usagi's last visit in Omashu—bigger, better, more convenient…and more expensive. They were honestly lucky to find any that hadn't already been hired, or who weren't too old or broken-down to be of much use. There was only one decent mount in the lot, and he didn't care much for Makoto or Usagi. The groom rented him cheap, though, and after some coaxing (and lumps of sugar), they finally got him out of the stables. Makoto stated that leaving anywhere but the main entrance would be too suspicious, or at least not so well-documented.
"If we get in trouble, I'd like to have lots of people know which way we traveled," she stated. Usagi agreed with her wisdom; no doubt they would meet with trouble on their way to the king. Even after leaving the city proper, the beast still hadn't taken to his passengers yet, and plodded along at a relatively slow pace, Usagi navigating and Makoto directing. A full hour passed before the highest parapets of Omashu were overtaken by the horizon. Makoto hadn't wanted to make it look like they were in a hurry, but now they were just losing time. She tried working a few tricks on the donkeydillo but it just wasn't cooperating. Usagi's worldly experiences had no better effect.
"Well, this sucks," she groaned. Makoto tried staying positive.
"Even if we were both sprinting, we'd never be going this fast."
"I dunno, I can really run when I need to," Usagi muttered.
"So can I," Makoto laughed. Suddenly, the donkeydillo reared up, braying, going wild with fear. Both girls jumped off, partly to calm it and partly to avoid being thrown. They hardly had time to get their bearings before it rushed off—but it didn't leave them alone. A figure emerged from the path, the deadliest possible beauty in all the world, a smile of pity gracing his frosty features.
"And where are you off to in such a rush, Miss Tsukino? Aren't you supposed to be waiting for news of your family? I can escort you back to the palace if you wish."
"Drop dead, Zoicite," she growled. He settled on chortling.
"What have I done to offend you, my lady?"
"You can cut the formality, you creep," Makoto countered. "We both know what's going on."
"And what would that be?"
"I heard your plan to kill the king before he could reach Ba Sing Se."
"So what if you did?" he shrugged carelessly. "There are only two of you privy to this conspiracy, correct?"
"Yeah, and only one of you!"
"Is that so?" He snapped his fingers, and ten of his retainers appeared, armed with swords, spears, maces, and bows. Makoto and Usagi paled but refused to back down. "It would seem our two parties have a discussion to attend to. I don't believe I need to facilitate. Good-bye, ladies." He strolled off casually; Makoto called after him but was met with a spear thrust that nearly tore her chest open. Her hand batted it away but two more jabbed at her, like snake's fangs. She skidded back, disrupted the ground below her, kicked up a small cloud of dust and hurled it in their faces. The distraction was brief but she made capital of it, careening her powerful fists into their faces and slamming them into the ground.
Usagi was too busy screaming and flailing and making account of her own life to worry about anything else. The archers were shooting at her—missing, thankfully, though likely on purpose; they drove her into a cavalcade of swordsmen who cut her so close that her clothes ripped, and lines of blood were drawn in their place. Another stabbed at her head, missing the skull by a literal hair's breadth, taking five long golden strands with it. Not knowing what else to do, she grabbed the man's arm and dug her teeth into his wrist as hard as she could, getting a brutal blow with his free hand for her efforts. She tore and gnashed savagely until she was forced away by a blow from a mace. It struck her but not hard; the swordsman dropped his weapon and howled in pain. More arrows went after her as she limped away; one streaked past her face, cutting a gash in her cheek.
"Usagi!" Makoto plowed into one of her attackers, lifted him into the ground with a loud groan, and hurled him at the archers. She ran to help Usagi but was cut by one of the swords; she hissed and clutched her side. Six of the ten enemies were still up and in good condition; the two girls were almost on their knees. Makoto scanned around as she caught her breath, spotting only one method of salvation.
"Usagi, do you see that tree in the distance over there? That little one? I need you to run to it, now."
"What? What are you going to—"
"Usagi, you trusted me earlier; now I'm begging you to trust me again." She swallowed several desperate breaths, bewilderment slowly turning into determination as their eyes locked. Makoto thrust both of her hands to the ground and kicked up the largest dust cloud she could possibly muster—little more than three feet big—and hurled it at their attackers as a last-ditch distraction. In spite of their injuries, both girls could still run; they reached the tree just as their enemies had recovered and were giving pursuit.
"Now what?" Usagi wheezed. Makoto cackled.
"Just watch me rock!" She twisted around, touching her hand to the tree, and…
Effortlessly…
Pulled it out of the ground, root and all, and swung it with the force of a battering-ram. This act caught their enemies off guard so much that they were all knocked down—and for good measure, Makoto brought the tree crashing down on their prone bodies.
"And STAY down!" she shouted, clutching her fist. She suddenly giggled and added, "I've always wanted to say that! Hey, are you okay? You're in really bad shape."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Usagi groaned. Neither of them were in any danger of dying, but before they could tend to what wounds they had, the issue of pressing onward was raised. The donkeydillo was nowhere in sight, and they were in poor condition to search for it. The mission seemed a complete bust until Usagi caught sight of a large monkey-sloth scratching its back on a nearby rock formation. It was saddled, which meant it had been used by Zoicite's men…and hopefully, it wouldn't mind a new master. Thankfully, it warmed to the girls much easier than the donkeydillo, and what it lacked in speed it more than made up for in enthusiasm.
"So what exactly did you do back there?" Usagi wondered as it galloped along.
"You mean with the tree? Well, remember how I said I was the world's worst earth-bender? It, uh…turns out I'm a wood-bender instead."
"A wood-bender?" Usagi reeled at the concept. "Huh. What'll they think of next?"
…
It wasn't long before the full severity of their injuries caught up with them. Usagi's face was screwed in pain, and blood was trickling down her neck and torso. Makoto's ribs throbbed with every leap and bound the monkey-sloth made. Thirst was the most alarming of them all, though, and neither of them had any supplies beyond the clothes on their back. Makoto guided their mount to the nearest river, still at least an hour away. By the time it was a glimmer in the distance, Usagi had almost fallen off twice; they had to slow down just so she could keep herself aloft. Makoto, despite her own bruises, had to help her off, and even had to undress her a little.
"I know we should keep moving," Usagi managed, "but I'm really glad we stopped."
"We didn't have much choice. The next river is miles from here. We need to clean our wounds and stock up." Usagi was already slurping up mouthfuls—the water was clear, cold, and refreshing—but she had to use her clothing as makeshift rags and bandages. Makoto was sporting a nice one over her most grievous injury; they left the river as soon as containers for their water could be found. The sojourn did them good: Usagi felt twice as energetic already, while Makoto no longer minded their mount's reckless gamboling. She knew the land even better than Usagi, and took a route which the other girl had no knowledge of—a "shortcut", as it were.
"They'd definitely take the slow-but-safe route. I mean, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah, definitely."
"King Motoki's not in as much of a hurry as we are. This road here's a lot quicker, and just as dangerous."
"How do ya figyAAAAAHHHH!" Usagi screamed as their mount surged up and vaulted over a canyon that looked to have no bottom, upsetting the plateau. It leaped from pinnacle to pinnacle, shifting the stones, then darted back to the ground only to barely outrun the landslide it had caused. It then dashed over a series of rapids (likely the source of the river they had stopped at earlier), plowed through a thick grove of trees, then finally climbed up the canopy and over a gator-infested swampland below. As if even that weren't enough, a large herd of triple-horned rhinos dashed after them once they were clear of the swamp, then the ground began caving in as gigantic antlions burrowed out to greet them with mandibles the size of wheelbarrows.
Eventually Usagi's voice gave out from all the screaming.
They were forced to make camp once it got too dark to see where they were going. Makoto found a grove of strange fruit Usagi had never seen before, which served as their dinner, but Usagi made the fire (with some assistance from her new companion). Makoto was impressed, but Usagi assured her it was no big deal—and besides, she needed to contribute something to this mission as well. Neither of them really wanted to stop, because each minute lost felt like another strike against the king, but they both figured that the king would rest as well. Not even their enemies could go this long or this fast without rest, even if they had air-bisons of their own. Still, they would want to rise at first light, a problem that Usagi struggled with.
"I am not a morning person," she groaned. "And, uh…sometimes, I'm not even an afternoon person."
"That's okay, I always rise just before dawn every day."
"Mina and Rei said the same thing," she muttered, shaking her head at the incredulity. "How in the world do you do it?" Makoto shrugged.
"I got used to it after all my years of martial arts training. Anyway, I don't like being out too late at night, so I'm usually in bed early."
"You don't go out on dates?"
"Can't." Usagi reeled again.
"Are your parents that strict?"
"I don't have parents," she replied quietly. Usagi was about to inquire further, but the somber expression on Makoto's face told the whole story.
"Sorry. So then, why can't you go on dates?"
"I'm already arranged to marry someone." She noticed Usagi's incongruous expression, certainly not the first time she got that response. "I know, but it all happened before I was born. It's fine. At least I know I'll have someone waiting for me, and he's a really good guy."
"That's so…weird," Usagi whispered. "I can't even imagine what that's like. So who is he?" Either Makoto didn't hear her—she was yawning and stretching—or she didn't want to answer. She was already curling up next to their mount, which served as an excellent source of warmth, and since there was nothing left for Usagi to do, save to look at the stars and try to find her bearings, she soon joined her.
The chilly morning wind snapped Usagi out of the sleepy funk she was in. The urgency of their plight had prevented her from sleeping much—yes, even she couldn't sleep well—but even after only a half-night of rest, the thrill of the moment kept her strength up. She didn't even mind most of her injuries; there was only haste, speed, a literal race against time, with the life of a king and possibly her new friends at stake. As breakneck as their pace was, they couldn't go fast enough in her mind; they had to make up for lost time.
"Look!" Makoto shouted, and as soon as Usagi saw the smoke, she knew they were already too late. Makoto goaded a little more speed out of their mount; their hearts raced with it; their stomachs knotted and twisted anxiously. A thick grove of trees barred their way; the monkey-sloth leaped into them and ascended to the canopy, where the girls got a glimpse of their surroundings before it hurled them headlong into the fray. There was too much going on to describe properly: at least twenty warriors disguised as bandits were attacking Motoki, Mamoru, Minako, Rei, Artemis, and their retinue. There were patches of fire dotted around, the largest of them responsible for the cloud of smoke Usagi saw earlier. Another air-bison and at least two of Motoki's people were either dead or immobilized, but the enemy had paid for its advances very dearly. Motoki himself was fighting three of the false bandits at once, his halberd altering between attack and defense.
The monkey-sloth gave out once it touched the ground, but it had performed its duties well: Makoto picked up the closest tree she could find and hurled it overhead, causing it to roll over a large number of enemies. She then leaped onto it and, with a shout, shattered it to kindling with a powerful thrust. Her hands fluttered and flashed, tossing the smaller bits of wood at anyone who got too close to the king. The enemy was a mix of earth and water benders, but they had never experienced an attack like this, and were taken completely by surprise.
"Mako?!" Makoto slowed down as a visage of gold and orange approached her, sailing on the wind. She had time enough to catch two breaths before recognizing them.
"Mina?"
"Hey, girlfriend, it's been a hot minute!"
"Yeah, no kidding!" A shower of sharp rocks hurled at them; Minako deflected them with a deft thrust and faced Makoto more solemnly.
"We'll catch up later! Can you watch over Motoki? I'll try and draw them away from his position."
"Got it. Who's the fire-bender?"
"She's a friend of ours. Watch out!" Minako erected an air barrier just as a torrential wave crashed upon them. Makoto took one of the bits she had broken and hurled it at their attacker. The two girls smiled at each other, shook hands, and split off. Makoto quickly uprooted a much larger tree and slammed it in front of the king, cutting off all but three of the enemies. She jumped over it and crashed into their ranks, flattening them to the ground. She smiled as her eyes met the king's.
"Fancy meeting you here!"
"How did… Never mind. Thank you for your help."
"No prob—" She was cut off as one of the downed enemies pulled a knife and lunged at her, but the king's thrust was faster, and ended the man's career in this world. Motoki returned her smile.
"Will you stay by my side?"
"That's funny, I was about to insist on that." They grinned at each other but braced themselves as the enemies began scaling the tree; some went the long way around; a few were even trying to break it open. Usagi certainly hadn't been fretting off to the side while all this was going on—well, not entirely, anyway. She had panicked for a moment, but noticed an enemy archer drawing an arrow on the king's location. She tackled him to the ground while he was distracted, then body-slammed him again until he stopped moving. She didn't know the first thing about archery, but could at least use the bow as a club until she found something better. A swordsman singled her out and charged; she defended herself with the bow, teeth gnashing and cold sweat dripping down her face. Inspiration struck, and she pulled the bowstring until it was taut, then let it snap in the man's face. The distraction was enough for her to rush him; he was unconscious and unarmed shortly after.
After these two small victories, Usagi felt too giddy to even stand, much less continue fighting—but she saw that enemies were working their way around Makoto's barrier, and was determined to expel them. She took the discarded sword and charged, striking at the closest enemy she could. The blow was weak and bounced off his armor, but it also dislodged him from the tree. She raised the sword, more to frighten the man than attack him, but shrank back as he leaped to his feet and turned on her. She swung blindly a few times, more of a hindrance than a threat; the man finally knocked the weapon out of her hand and advanced, raising a fist covered in barbs and studs. Usagi let out a squeal but had no time to do anything else, as the man crumbled into a heap at her feet and lay there, still. A sharp stone shaped vaguely like a flower was embedded nicely in his back.
"My lady, what are you doing here?" she heard a familiar voice call. "This is no place for you!" A dark figure leaped from the battlefield, his clothes worn and shredded from fighting. It was Mamoru, bruised and a little bloody, but as intense as the foundations of the world. He stretched his hand out. "Follow me, my lady. You need to get to safety."
"But," she protested briefly, before a hailstorm of deadly icicles fell from the sky, missing her foot. She saw the sense in his words and took him up on the offer. Rather than running, though, Mamoru scooped her in his arms, stamped on the ground, and caused the earth to whirl under his feet, creating a platform. He stood on the platform and launched it away from the fighting, sending them both hurtling away. He landed gracefully and set her down.
"Forgive me, my lady, but I could never face my lord again if I allowed any harm to come to his guests. Excuse…" He broke off as he noticed another projectile coming their way, too fast to avoid. He stood in front of Usagi, raised his arm, and took the blow, gnashing his teeth as the missile pierced him. It was but a single arrow; he regarded it coldly before turning to the frightened girl. "Are you all right?"
"Um…um…um…y-yeah, but your arm…"
"You're the one that matters now." A cry caught his attention, and the blood in his veins turned to ice water. Even from that distance, he could see his king falling, pierced by arrows. Without wasting another moment, Mamoru cut another platform from the earth and rode it to his liege's side, where he threw up a large rock wall that encompassed the king. Makoto was there, boasting a barb in her side, cradling Motoki's head as he struggled. Her eyes met Mamoru's for a moment.
"My king," was all he managed to say, his face aghast. Motoki looked up at him, too pained for any other expression.
"Status," he whispered. Mamoru swallowed.
"The enemy was routing the last I saw, your highness. Your guest, that girl Usagi you introduced me to, was caught in the fighting, but I escorted her to safety." He didn't mention the fact that, by obeying one order, he had completely neglected his most important, the sacred vow that made him friend and Captain and protector. Motoki was in no condition to judge him, however.
"Well done. It sounds like we shall soon have this matter sorted out, and…" Turning pale, perspiring, and short of breath, Motoki passed out, deaf to those who called his name. The battle ended soon, but the enemy had succeeded in their mission. The King would not make it to Ba Sing Se.
The end of "Interception"
Next time: "A Journey Suspended"
Author's note:
I realize that metric is the standard unit of measurement in most parts of the world (including Japan), but I'm going to use feet, inches, and miles for my story—not because I'm more familiar with them, but because I think that's the standard that most people would use at this indefinable time period.
For those of you who want to point out that "Makoto uses lightning, why not make her a fire-bender?", first of all: because we already have one; second, because she was an earth-bender in the aforementioned fan-art I'm basing all this on; and third, because in Japanese, the name for the planet Jupiter is Mokusei (literally, wood or tree of the heavens). Besides, if metal is technically an earth, then wood—which is mostly the earth-elemental carbon—should follow the same logic.
