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
9: Zoicite Strikes!
The first thing Princess Kotono did every morning was mark the passing of another day on the wall of her cell, because she did not want to forget, and every scratch was another flaming coal of indignity that she swore would fall on Jaedite's head. The next thing she did was care for her mother, whose mind was, by now, only half-lost (or half-gained, as Kotono wanted to think of it as). The presence of her children was probably the only thing keeping her in the light now; otherwise, Kotono knew, her demeanor would be irredeemably bleak. While she was doing that, she and Asanuma conferred with their cellmates, gathering what news they could, making various plans and theories about their situation—and with more and more citizens of the Fire Nation being arrested, or transferred, there was always a steady flow of thoughts and information.
The sound of a door opening didn't jar her away from her administrations, nor did an accompanying clink of keys. Likely this was another prisoner, either to be added or removed, and Kotono had seen enough of those to not worry herself. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the person bearing a torch: a brightly-burning torch in the midst of countless fire-benders. Whoever this was, they must have been very stupid. Surely they knew the danger they were putting themselves in? But if they did, they would have to be a world-class bender to have any chance of fighting off all these prisoners.
Kotono's eyes narrowed indignantly as the visitor approached. It was worse than a master bender: it was General Jaedite. She refused to give him the dignity of a greeting and instead stared at him with all of her vitriol. He matched her gaze passively, but respectfully for a moment, before reaching for the keys and holding them out before him.
"Hello, your highness. Do you know what these are?" He allowed a quiet beat to go past. "These are the key to your cell. They are not so close to you that you could take them, but if I should drop them, you could easily contrive of a way to retrieve them from the ground and use them to escape."
"What are you playing at, Jaedite?" He waved the torch slightly.
"All you have to do is set me awash with this fire. I would turn to ash and the keys would fall. You need only act to free your people. As you are the princess, it would be within your rights to execute me. After all, you consider me a traitor, don't you?" Kotono bit her lip and sneered. Only the royal family knew that she was no fire-bender; the rest of the country saw her as a Princess, and merely assumed she had that talent. Even Jaedite was not prone to that information—but what benefit would him discovering that secret bring? There had been Lords and Ladies in the past who couldn't produce a spark, yet led the Fire Nation well. Of course, even if she had the talent, she wouldn't dare stoop so low as to...
"You rattlesnake!" she heard someone from inside the cell scream, and before anyone could stop them, an old man lunged at the bars and thrust upwards with his arm, a move that surely would have caused the least flame to dance wildly. The torch in Jaedite's hand barely quivered. The old man gawked, and tried again, and again, without success. Jaedite calmly placed his hand close to the flickering brand, but it remained passive.
"I have been regarded as something of a prodigy, but I couldn't bend this flame though the will of the dragons were behind me. Do you know why?"
"No," Kotono snarled. Jaedite looked at the prison ceiling, casting the light of the torch up. Kotono observed tiny glimmering pale blue points on the ceiling, which were otherwise indistinct.
"If your highness would cast your eyes around the cell during the daytime, you would see other such devices. They are known as the Tears of Apsu, and due to their size and rarity, are very difficult to procure. Just one, however, will dispel a bender's ability to the point of inertia, within an estimated radius of ten feet. Imagine, then, how much several hundred, strategically placed, could accomplish."
Jaedite allowed another moment of silence for it to sink in.
"What you're saying is, there's absolutely no hope of escape for us in here."
"Oh, we didn't need the Tears to teach you that. Capturing the royal family and most of their personal guard was enough. Furthermore, every prisoner we obtain is strategically placed in any number of prisons around the world so as to incite the least amount of dissent. Yours is a people scattered, your highness, displaced to the point of impotence. No, your majesty, those Tears are there as a reminder that Queen Beryl has you in her power."
Kotono couldn't stop the astonished expression that lit her face so well against the fire. Jaedite's salvo of information had done its work, and she was rendered defenseless. "Capturing the royal family" implied that her father, the Fire Lord, was indeed alive, but as much a prisoner as they were—and to hear that so many of her people were scattered so far compounded the impact. Most disheartening of all was the reveal of the mastermind behind all this.
"Beryl!" she gasped, almost taking a step back. It took a considerable amount of royal training to maintain her composure. Queen Beryl was the ruler of Ba Sing Se, and although they were not outright enemies of the Fire Nation, the two countries were not necessarily on good terms, either. Ba Sing Se, and the greater part of the Earth Kingdom, had been hit the hardest from the Avatar's sudden disappearance, as he had hailed from that city and had defended it countless times from various enemies and disasters—and not all of them external. Beryl had inherited a nation of chaos, and it had only gotten worse with the Avatar gone. To Kotono's knowledge, though, things had stabilized over there, largely due to Beryl's active—some would say aggressive—reforms. But was conquering the Fire Nation part of these reforms, or did she truly believe they were just another threat? She posed this question to Jaedite.
"I cannot claim to understand the depth of the Queen's mind, nor the mind of his highness the Fire Lord. Perhaps they are both guilty; perhaps they are both innocent. I suppose my actions will be judged by history, won't they?"
"Or my mother and father, when they escape," she swore to him. "And if they don't, my brother and I will! Mark my words, Jaedite: you will answer to all of this. The walls of this cell are covered with my judgment."
"So they are," he observed. "Well, your highness, if you will excuse me, I have matters to attend to. There are still many people in the Fire Nation who are unaccounted for."
"What, did you come down here just to taunt me?" she scoffed. Jaedite looked back at her, his expression ambiguous.
"I accomplished what I came here to do. Let us leave it at that. By your leave."
"You have my leave to hang yourself," she muttered, as he walked away and left her in the dark. Kotono stewed in her righteous anger for a moment before taking several deep breaths to calm herself. In, out; in, out; in...out. Until the day her heart stopped beating, she was Princess of the Fire Nation. She would conduct herself as such.
…...
Neither Chief Oomari nor Saeko Mizuno were in any mood to welcome Zoicite to their village, especially after everything their guests had told them—but refusing him would be a much worse fate, so they gave him full clearance to dock. He had five other ships in tow, but for the moment, he seemed content to make landfall with his own crew. Oomari, Saeko, and a number of elders, hunters, benders, and representatives greeted him, coldly but civilly.
"This is an unexpected pleasure, General," Oomari said flatly. "If we had known you would be visiting us, we would have prepared something more befitting your rank."
"I'm not here to be fawned over. I'm assuming you're in charge here?"
"Yes, sir. I am Oomari."
"And the people gathered here represent the village as a whole?"
"Correct, sir."
"Good. I don't like to have my time wasted, Oomari, nor delayed unnecessarily. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir, perfectly."
"Good, then I can get to the point: I am searching for a member of the Omashu royal family who was ambushed and wounded during an excursion. I have reason to believe he may seek asylum here, as this part of the world is renowned for their healers. If you have any information regarding this...incident, I would appreciate it."
"I am always honored to serve a General in his time of need, especially a great water-bender such as yourself. In truth, we have not received any member of the royal family since the previous Avatar was alive. We rarely even see visitors from Omashu."
"Is that a fact? I have it upon very good faith that this would be a likely destination of his."
"If that's true, then we'll give him a proper welcome, restore his health with a glad heart, and inform you of his arrival. But until then, I'm afraid I cannot help you."
"Oh, you can be of some help, Oomari." Zoicite gestured to the sea, raising his hand as a long, thin ribbon of cold water appeared. He formed it into a taut lance and aimed it at Saeko. "You can stop lying, for one, and you can recall how I despise having my time wasted." Oomari turned pale, his mouth opening and closing in fright. Saeko tensed up, but made no sudden movement. Hidden inside one of the yurts, Ami watched as her mother was threatened.
"That's him," Usagi whispered in her ear, as they huddled close. "That's Zoicite. He's the one who plotted to kill Motoki." Ami said nothing; she merely burned the image into her brain.
"Ah...I d-don't understand, sir," Oomari stuttered. "I...I can assure you that—"
"I can assure you my people's eyes are more reliable than yours. They spotted an air-bison flying over these waters three days ago, bearing six people. They gave descriptions of this creature that matched one that had been corralled in Omashu a week ago, and left the city at the same time as the king. I do not risk my profession on coincidences, Oomari. Where is the bison, where are its passengers, and where...is...the King?" With every emphasized word, Zoicite stepped closer to Saeko, guiding the lance toward her chest. Its point stopped a mere inch away from the hem of her cloak.
"M...my lord," Oomari muttered, scarcely containing his fear, "if...you wish to examine our dwellings, I can arrange for—"
"Good, at last we are getting somewhere. My men are my eyes and ears; treat every one of them as you would treat me. I'll start at your infirmary: since he was wounded, he would likely be there."
"I'm in charge of the patients," Saeko said evenly, trying to stare at Zoicite and not at the spear pointed at her heart. "I'll escort you there." Zoicite smiled flatly and withdrew the lance, but kept it pointed at Saeko to ensure her cooperation. Mechanically, she led him and two other men into the yurt, and all the while Ami held her breath, clenching her fists.
"It's okay," she heard Usagi whisper, and an assuring hand was placed on her shoulder. "Everything will be fine."
The yurt only had three patients and four healers, counting the head doctor. Saeko explained that one was being treated for wounds he had sustained while hunting, one for a fever, and the third for a difficult pregnancy. Zoicite appraised the clinic meticulously, pacing around the beds in total silence, like a predator stalking their prey. Finally he stopped in the middle of the room.
"I suppose your chief was telling the truth after all. I don't see the king anywhere."
"Then you're satisfied?"
"Completely," he smiled, raising the ice spear he had been carrying. He plunged the sharp end into the wooden floor, then lifted it again. "At least, on the surface. Don't worry, I'll pay for the damage. If you'll indulge me, doctor? Remember, I'm a member of the Water Tribe as well. I know a thing or two about their secrets." He smiled and walked to another part of the clinic, thrusting his spear into the floor as he did before—then another—then another. Saeko remained completely impassive.
"Pardon me," he said to the wounded hunter, gently pushing his bed aside. The spear went into the floor below. Undeterred, Zoicite returned the bed to its position, glanced between the other two patients, and shrugged. "My mistake. It truly seems like nobody else is here." He offered Saeko a razor's smile, split his lance into three, and pierced the ground around him. Silence.
He withdrew. Saeko was as patient and stoic as a mountain.
"Very well," Zoicite sighed, "I must concede. The King is not in this clinic. Get in touch with one of my people and I'll forward you the cost of this floor. Your clinic is marvelously kept, by the way. My compliments."
"Thank you, General," she said, letting out a relieved sigh. She waited until he was outdoors before following him...and then he stopped.
"Unless..." Smiling, his eyes locked directly at hers, he lifted his icy spear one more time. "One for the road, doctor? I couldn't help but notice you were standing in the exact same spot this whole ti—"
Saeko didn't hesitate and instantly knocked Zoicite down with a wall of snow, buried him beneath three shelves of frost, and shouted for Oomari. The benders at the dock immediately sprang into action, summoning tendrils of water from the sea to scoop up anyone within their reach. Soon benders of all ages and genders burst from hiding, flinging snow and sleet and hailstorms and freezing rain and huge blocks of ice. Zoicite's men had anticipated betrayal, though, and while a handful were thrown off their guard, the majority fought back, their years of military training more than a match for the villagers. Oomari gathered the best hunters and benders to the vanguard and stood with them as the enemy soldiers, more than half of them water-benders themselves, pushed back with relentless fury. With so many bodies and projectiles, it was difficult to see, but soon a thick fog rolled in and it truly became impossible. Saeko turned and saw her daughter guiding the mist.
She didn't have long to debate whether to order Ami back into hiding or guide her in the battle: Zoicite freed himself from his prison, angrily flinging the shelves of ice aside. A single stomp on the ground unearthed a massive plot of snow; he turned every flake into a dart and hurled them at Saeko. She quickly raised an ice barrier, but it didn't hold for long; several darts found their mark and drew blood. Heedless of her injuries, Saeko raised an ice silo, trapping Zoicite in a cylindrical prison; he broke out, hurling the chunks; they were knocked out by a hailstorm of arrows.
"Don't forget about us, General," one of the archers said. He raised his bow and another volley fired; Zoicite flung ice blocks to deflect them but his arm was grazed by one of the barbs, and a stray chunk broke through his defenses and struck him right in the temple. Backing off, he summoned a huge flurry to shield himself, then ran straight for the infirmary. This time he called out five ice spears and drove them directly at the place where Saeko had been standing.
A large stone object, shaped like a lotus, pierced them all. The flurry storm subsided, leaving Zoicite to face his newest obstacle. It was Mamoru.
"As long as I live, you will not lay a finger on his majesty, Zoicite."
"Have it your way," he sneered, but instead of fighting, he raised his hand in the air. The snow around them exploded, and although it did little more than obstruct their view, its long-term impact would be deadlier. The villagers had been defending themselves remarkably well until that time, and had begun to push Zoicite's men back to the ocean, where a hundred greedy water-tendrils were waiting to drag them into the depths. But they had forgotten the other ships that Zoicite had brought with them. The burst of snow had been the signal for them all to come ashore. Countless boats—some wooden, some made of ice—paddled out, all of them bearing fresh soldiers, many of them armed. The ranks of the fallen and retreating were quickly replenished, and victory for the villagers was erased. Mamoru watched all of this happen, grim-faced, while Zoicite simply smiled.
"You were saying?" he teased. Mamoru glared.
"Don't worry, we have backup, too." A gust of frosty air shoved Zoicite away from the clinic and pinned him against a rocky outcropping, which Mamoru used to trap him.
"Darn!" shouted Minako as she joined the fray. "You stole my cool one-liner! Now I'm gonna have to come up with another!"
"Just don't start adding puns to your arsenal," Makoto said. The pile of firewood she had brought in was now strapped to her back; one was already being hurled at a group of approaching enemy soldiers. She knocked them flat, then spotted Zoicite trying to escape. "Oh, no you don't!" Several planks of wood reinforced the stone and bound him to the spot, then wood and air turned to face the onslaught of foes. Not to be overshadowed, Mamoru took another large stone and hurled it in front of him as he ran to the dock. He launched the stone at the incoming fleet, sinking several boats and grinding others to bits before the water-benders sunk his missile. Meanwhile, Zoicite finally freed himself with the aid of his men, growling and cursing all the while.
"Burn them all! Burn this whole place to the ground!" Torches were lit as soon as he gave the command, and Zoicite threw the first, straight at the clinic. Many other brands joined it, and his men formed a barrier around it so that nobody could rush in to extinguish the flames. Even so, before he could revel much in his victory, the fire was controlled, transferring mysteriously from the clinic to the very soldiers surrounding it. As they ran screaming to douse themselves, a lone figure emerged from the smoking structure. It was Rei, and the fire was now within her.
"You just made your biggest mistake," she snarled, her very essence a corona of righteous fury. Zoicite smirked as he recognized the lost member of the Fire Nation royal family.
"And you have saved me a lot of work." Searing orbs surrounded Rei and launched at Zoicite; chunks of ice and snow dissipated the fire, turned to daggers mid-air, and hurtled at Rei; she raised a wall of fire and pushed it, evaporating the missiles and the ground below; Zoicite spread his arms out, calling for jets of frost to smash the wall. They traded blows like this for awhile longer: Zoicite was stronger and more experienced, but he was wounded and weary from the fight. Mamoru and Saeko both broke away from their respective battles and surrounded him, and for a moment, he was overwhelmed by earth, water, and fire. But he had numbers on his side, and in spite of the villagers' efforts, they were still being pushed back. Minako, Makoto, Ami, and even Usagi were all fighting tooth and nail (in Usagi's case, literally, as she bit and clawed one of her attackers), but they were being overwhelmed. A retinue reinforced Zoicite's position and downed Saeko; Mamoru was buried in an avalanche as he tried to protect Rei, and she fell as waves of ice smashed into her.
"Mamoru! Rei!" Usagi plowed her way through the battle in an effort to save them, and even managed to knock one of Zoicite's guards out with a bone-crunching punch to the face, but she was covered in ice from the chest down for her troubles. Zoicite gestured for his men to stand down as he approached her. Usagi trembled—partly from cold, but mostly from fear and anger.
"You...you won't...get away with this!"
"That old line?" he sighed. "Please. Ah, I remember you—you were that uncouth bumpkin King Motoki took a fancy to at that dinner party. Yes, and you've managed to inconvenience me ever since, costing me more time and resources than I'm accustomed to. Only pests would be so obtrusive as that!" He took a step closer and tightened the icy prison around her until only her face was freed. The pain was tremendous, but Usagi wasn't about to submit quietly.
"Y-you w-wanted...to k-kill the k-k-king. Wh...whatever suffering you've been through...you deserve—"
Zoicite callously covered her mouth in ice. Now she could only breathe, and glare.
"That's better. I like you more when you're at my mercy. In time, the king will be at my mercy, as well. As a water-bender, it pains me to say this, but for their role in aiding and abetting his majesty, and for lying to me, I will have to make an example of this village. What that portends, I'm afraid, will be up to less merciful souls than my own." He smiled, shrugged, and raised his hand again, this time to finish the transformation and encompass Usagi completely. As he was doing this, though, one of his scouts roared his name, and approached him with as much haste as the snowy terrain would allow. Irked at being interrupted, Zoicite seethed with impatience.
"What is it now? Unless this is a matter of monumental importance, you can count yourself frozen alongside this stupid girl!" The scout was bent over, wheezing and puffing, barely intelligible.
"Message...from Queen Beryl! Just arrived! Puh...personal seal!"
"What?!" The scout bore an envelope with a wax seal of Beryl's royal crest stamped on it. Normally, only her top advisors or Generals were allowed to use that crest, and only when the message came from Beryl herself. Carefully unsealing the wax, his hands trembling slightly, Zoicite first glanced at the signature, and swallowed. Beryl had penned this prerogative personally.
That almost never happened.
It read, "General Zoicite, your presence is requested in My throne room at the highest urgency, in regards to matters which you are no doubt aware. By My calculations, this letter should arrive in your hands in precisely three days seventeen hours and forty-two minutes from the time it has been sealed. I shall expect you in My presence in that same amount of time, adding one hour for you to conclude whatever affairs you are currently embroiled in. If you are to delay a single minute, then all of your forces shall be reassigned and you shall become intimately acquainted with My wrath. Trusting that you will do everything in your power to avoid that fate, I await you, Beryl, Queen of Ba Sing Se"
His hands trembling even more now, Zoicite tucked the letter into his jacket. He knew that Beryl was very serious about her word...and he knew that if he had any hope of making the appointment, he would need to leave immediately.
"Order a withdrawal," he said pensively. The scout appeared to not understand. "Do it," he hissed, "at once. A full withdrawal of all my forces." Without saying anything else, he made his way to the dock, spreading the word to anyone he saw.
"But sir, what about our dead, our wounded? We cannot just—"
"If they can't walk, then we leave them! Do not test me any further, is that understood?!" The scout nodded, looked around him hesitantly, and gave the orders. With Zoicite's ire to motivate them, his soldiers abandoned their battle in record time, and the last ship had sailed off only minutes before Beryl's hour of grace had passed.
It didn't take long for Saeko and Rei to free Usagi from her prison. Figuring out what to make of all this, and what their next move would be, would be a much more daunting task.
…...
As soon as all of the wounded had been cared for, King Motoki and Chief Oomari called for a meeting. Saeko, Mamoru, Rei, Minako, and several members of the village were invited, and although she felt terribly out of place and wholly unimportant in the vast scheme of things, Usagi was there as well. She was asked to relate what she had overheard way back in Omashu, after the king's banquet, as well as what had transpired since. It was agreed that General Zoicite was an enemy, a shame upon the water-bending people, and likely one of the lead conspirators in the attack on the Fire Lord's tournament (which was also spoken about, mostly by Rei). The fact that air-benders and earth-benders were also there implied that Generals Kunzite and Nephrite were in on it, as well.
How any figurehead could unite three of the world's most prominent Generals was a mystery; how she could direct them all towards a single objective, what may as well have been a declaration of war, was even more perplexing. Beryl was a forceful personality, certainly, and she had worked hard to stabilize her country and weed out all possible threats. Apparently, "possible threats" included Fire Lord Kuni's tournament, and now it seemed Motoki was on that list as well. There were many voices in that room who wanted to label Beryl as a threat herself, an "enemy", but Motoki was unwilling to commit just yet. As radical as it sounded, he still wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Even after everything you've been through?!" Minako blurted. "After she killed your physician and nearly you as well? And let's not forget what just happened here!"
"I know," he said, raising a hand to calm her. "Lately, though, it seems we're all too willing to embroil ourselves in conflict and war. How would adding any further violence to the issue solve anything? But I'm not ready to declare her innocent, either. My mission still remains: we must journey into Ba Sing Se and confront the Queen herself over these charges. There are still too many uncertain factors."
A grim silence blanketed the room. It wasn't even clear whether Motoki was acting out of wisdom or folly.
"Very well," Mamoru said. "You are my king and your word is law. But I must object to you endangering yourself any further."
"I'll agree to that," Saeko said. "You're still in no condition to make any kind of journey, your highness. The poison will take at least another week to fully clear out of your body, and I'd like to keep monitoring your condition for three days afterwards. But I'll stake my medical reputation on you making a full recovery in a fortnight."
"Two weeks is too long to be indolent," he replied. He looked to Mamoru, who immediately understood the king's wishes. "Therefore, I would like to appoint Mamoru Chiba, Captain of the Tellurians and my personal friend and protector, to make the journey in my place. But you would have volunteered for it anyway, wouldn't you?"
"My king knows his servants well," Mamoru said, smiling as he bowed.
"And you won't be going alone," he added, mirroring the smile. He then nodded at Minako. "Though this is not your battle, dear friend, there are few I'd trust more. Would you be willing to risk life and limb for—"
"Sure, sounds fun!" she chirped. The entire room stared at her as she winked. "Spending two weeks alone with a gorgeous man? Just try and stop me!" The whole room shook with laughter; even the king smiled, though he had some rather bad news to add.
"Unfortunately for you, Mina, you won't be alone. There's someone else here who has a vested interest in this." He nodded at Rei, who blushed a little before bowing.
"Thank you, sire. I promise I won't let you down."
"Ah, phooey," Minako pouted. "So much for my chances to score with a Tellurian captain. Ah well, Rei's pretty cool too, I guess."
"Glad to hear your vote of confidence," Rei grumbled. The crowd laughed again, but silenced as someone cleared their throat. Makoto, who had not been invited to the council, parted through the door and humbly bowed.
"Excuse me...but what do you want me to do? If Mamoru's going away, shouldn't someone stay behind and watch over you?" The king smiled beatifically at her, a tall powerhouse of a woman who nevertheless stood shyly. A very long moment of understanding silently passed between the two that nobody else seemed to comprehend. At last, Makoto took a deep breath. "Are you sure?"
Motoki nodded. "Something tells me you'll be of better service to me in Ba Sing Se. Besides, you need to get out more."
"Hey, I'm already the outdoorsy type," she grinned, and not for the first time, many people wondered what relationship this tomboy had with the king, and why they were so familiar with one another. Minako merely shook hands with her while Rei gave her a nod of respect.
"Well, if that's settled, then..."
"Excuse me! Um, pardon me, your majesty...oh, dear." Everyone turned to stare at the newest uninvited visitor, a figure far less imposing than Makoto and even more bashful. A petite blue-haired girl stood timidly at the doorway, red-faced and smiling awkwardly. Makoto recognized her as Ami and gave her a smile of encouragement.
"Step forward, young lady, and tell us your name," Motoki beckoned. "You'll forgive me if I did not invite you to this council, as it was made in great haste."
"Th-that's fine, your majesty, I didn't expect to be, ah, asked to come here. Um—yes, hello, my name is...is Ami, sire, Ami Mizuno. I...I would...I mean, my mother's a doctor...the village doctor, and I...well, I've been learning under her, and, well...I mean, it sounded like this was going to be a very dangerous journey—and I apologize for eavesdropping, I didn't mean to be rude, I just felt..." She winced, now visibly trembling, perplexed and petrified. Motoki gave her a patient smile.
"Go on."
"W-well...I mean, I think it would be wise if they could...um, if you had someone go with them who could, uh, make sure they're not hurt, or...I mean, heal their wounds."
"You're suggesting that I assign a water-bender to accompany them."
"Yes sir! I mean, not that I'd dare impose, of course, or tell you how you should rule or command..."
"No, it's quite all right," he said, laughing softly. "A king cannot rule without the advice of his councilors, and a true king sees wisdom in all places. Tell me, Lady Mizuno, are you volunteering for the part of healer and water-bender in this mission?"
"Ah...I don't presume to..."
"Are you?" he repeated firmly. She swallowed and nodded her head.
"I would like to, if it pleases you." Instead of answering her, the king looked to Saeko.
"I am neither your guardian nor your king. An authority outside my own holds that privilege. What say you, doctor?" Saeko had already been watching her daughter from the moment she had set foot inside the meeting room. She appraised her as only a parent could, then as only a teacher could.
"Ami has the potential to be the best healer in our village, possibly in the entire Northern Tribe. There is only so much I can teach her, though. Only real experience can make her grow. Your majesty, with your permission and your blessing, I would like to request my daughter for this mission."
Ami trembled with relief, beaming as Motoki consented. With all of that settled, they would leave for Ba Sing Se as soon as all their supplies were loaded.
But not everything was accounted for. As the girls left to prepare themselves, Mamoru looked back, across the room, his eyes meeting Usagi's. Her expression was one of resigned helplessness. He knew, as surely the king knew, that not only did she no longer have a part to play in this, but it would be madness to bring her into this danger, especially with no way to defend herself. Oh, she had been a helpful navigator, staunch friend, and faithful supporter until now, but where they were going...well, she'd just be in the way. Usagi would be safe here, with the Water Tribe and the king, and if any news concerning her family came up, they'd know exactly where to send it. This, then, would be their parting.
He approached her, explained all this, and apologized. She accepted her fate graciously, if not gladly, and their hands touched one more time before she offered him a sad smile. Then he was gone.
With the matter concluded, the council dissolved, and everyone returned to their affairs, leaving only the king, Saeko, two of her aides—and Usagi. Saeko quietly asked that she be left to cure the king in peace, but Motoki stilled her. He studied Usagi carefully, noticing the pensive stare in her eyes, how overwhelmed she seemed, an ordinary girl caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Her place was not upon the crux of history, her actions not those of one who could make great change upon the world. She had already made it farther than anyone in her station could ever hope for, and years from now, she'd be telling her children of the time she played a minor role in tumultuous times. Expecting anything more than that would be unreasonable.
"Usagi," he stated, "what do you want to do?" The spell broke; she looked at him, then stared at the floor. "If my word didn't matter, if common sense had no say in it... If you could truly follow your heart, where would it take you?"
She didn't need to think about it at all, because she already knew. She just needed to say it.
"With them," she whispered. "I want to be with Mamoru...and Rei, and Mina, and Makoto...and, and, Ami, I want to be friends with her too, and...go to Ba Sing Se, because I've never been there. I know it's dangerous, and I know I'm not special, and I don't have anything to offer, but..."
She was crying quietly. Saeko kindly handed her a tissue.
"Then do it," Motoki said. "By your own free will, do as you will. Your destiny is your own to make."
Usagi stayed around just long enough to hug him and thank Saeko before running out the door. Motoki sighed.
"I hope I have not sent that brave girl out to her death. I could endure the loss of a company of soldiers, but not hers."
"I'm sure she'll be all right," Saeko answered, offering a rare smile. "Call me sentimental, but...I have a good feeling about those five girls. It's like they're meant to be together."
The end of "Zoicite Strikes!"
Next time: "Thawing the Ice"
