A long time ago, Avatar Kalkin 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 the Earth Kingdom 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

13: No Safe Haven

Zoicite let out a sigh of relief as the palace guards opened the enormous gate and allowed him passage. It had taken him nearly all of the three days, eighteen hours, and forty-two minutes that Beryl had allotted for his return, in spite of his efforts to rush. What little good his haste amounted to was a surplus of eleven minutes, which—if he went to the throne room directly, made no stops, and marched at the greatest speed his dignity would allow—would give him a scant three minutes to spare. Just three minutes. As soon as the gate was opened wide enough, he curtly thanked the guards and squeezed through.

Zoicite knew the palace very well, both from frequent visits and a good memory, and knew to avoid the grand staircase and make his way to a smaller anteroom. It was several doors down in an elaborate hallway, but the time he spent getting there was worth the investment. A large dumbwaiter, strong enough to hold five people, had been installed on the ground floor, a veritable miracle of modern engineering. It had cost a fortune and required a team of the best minds in the world three weeks of round-the-clock labor to construct, but as a status symbol and a matter of convenience, it couldn't be beat. There were five floors to the palace but Beryl's throne room and audience chamber was on the third, in the exact center of the palace.

Zoicite composed himself, recited what he would say in his head, and made sure he was presentable while the dumbwaiter lifted him up. He got off and resumed his brisk march, slowing down only once, to briefly peer into a room that was on the way. This led to Beryl's private menagerie, where she kept the most exotic and beautiful animals in the world for her own study and amusement. Among the residents were two rainbow peacocks, a saber-toothed deer, a lumbering entity known as a tree-walker, a two-legged antelope, several varieties of poisonous flying frogs, a lizardile, an albino badger-mole, and greatest of all, three massive Wolly Thunderhorns, one of which Beryl had ridden through the streets during her coronation ceremony. All three of them were tame, supposedly, and despite his schedule, Zoicite allowed himself a longer glimpse. If it should cost him a minute, it would be worth it.

He ended up with three minutes to spare all the same; Beryl's guard announced him and let him through without delay. Zoicite wanted to let out another sigh of relief, but the mad dash over here had been the easy, nay, the pleasant part. What awaited him at the end of this long, dimly-lit room was more treacherous than anything he knew of. Beryl was not a bender, but as a leader and a conqueror, she was unparalleled. She could intimidate people twice her size just by standing up, and had once sent twenty armed warriors reeling back with a single step. She suffered no foolishness, incompetence, disobedience, or opposition, and while she rewarded the faithful threefold for their deeds, she punished her enemies ninefold for theirs. Zoicite bowed the instant he caught sight of her throne, not even daring to gaze upon her until she bid it.

"Kneel," she commanded, her voice bitterest steel. Slowly, Zoicite sank to his knees. "Lower," she uttered, almost a growl. Hesitating, Zoicite lowered his body until he was completely prostrate on the floor, forehead touching the cold surface. "Lower," he heard Beryl snarl, and shuddered. She then let out the faintest of chuckles. "That's enough. On your knees." He was only too happy to oblige. Zoicite wanted to wipe the dirt off his uniform, but checked himself. Beryl hadn't ordered him to.

"General, do you know why I've summoned you here?" The edge was gone; she sounded bored. Zoicite decided to venture a guess.

"I believe so, your highness. This is in regards to my actions concerning King Motoki."

"Be silent for awhile. I summoned you here because I'm not sure you fully comprehend the situation We have been presented. Are you familiar with the state of this country prior to the ascension of Avatar Kalkin?"

"Yes, your highness."

"And its state during his lifetime?"

"I do."

"And how it fluctuated oh-so wildly during his disappearance?"

"Correct, your highness."

"Then you know upon whose shoulders the task of stabilizing and rebuilding this kingdom fell."

"I am in her presence now."

"Good," she purred, sounding content. "Then you can appreciate how difficult it must have been to wring order out of chaos, and how much more difficult it is to keep this order in spite of tribulations from within and without." In truth, he did not.

"Scarcely, your highness."

"Precisely. Tell Me, do you believe that Avatar Kalkin is dead?" Zoicite took a moment to consider it. Nearly everyone in the world felt that it had been too long since Kalkin's last known appearance, that a new Avatar had been born, and it was only a matter of time until they were found. But Kalkin had never been confirmed dead—only missing these many long years.

"Not with absolute certainty, your highness."

"A fair response. My absolute certainty lies in his existence, General. Kalkin was very near and dear to the royal family, and to Ba Sing Se as a whole. If things had gone differently, We would have been a relative of his, perhaps a niece or cousin—maybe even his daughter. As it stands, he is Our national hero, a beacon of hope, balance, and order. How does the story go? 'A fresh breeze to sweep away the miasma of foul war, an Opportune Rain to quench the lands baked dry by the fury of evil.' The passage may refer to another Avatar, but it is just as fitting. Avatar Kalkin kept this land from tearing itself apart, and he kept other countries from making off with the pieces. We wouldn't have an Earth Kingdom without him. That is why my conviction is so unshakable: that is why I refuse to believe Kuni's nonsensical pretense. The Fire Nation was an opportunistic enemy before and during the time of Kalkin, and mark my words, General: they still are."

Beryl silently let her words and feelings sink in for a moment. She stood, paced around the room a little, and approached Zoicite. She spent a discomforting moment or two staring at him mutely, emotionless, but formidable all the same.

"I could never stomach the ancient schism that rent My kingdom asunder so long ago," she resumed, her voice harsher and more virulent. "Omashu and Ba Sing Se, north and south, two Earth Kingdoms divided. Divided!" Her voice was like thunder, her fury irrepressible—for only an instant. "Together, Our land is greater than all the other nations combined. Together, We could do so much more for this world: bring about true order, stability, peace! The Furuhata line may be content to be Our neighbor, but they will not unite; they are willing to remain weak. Suppose Kuni were to attack them with his so-called Avatar search? Would Omashu be able to withstand the Fire Nation by themselves, or would they beg for Our aide? And what if We were to feel the wrath of burning war first? Would Omashu leap for the chance to save their neighbor? Even if they did, would it not simply be easier to stand together, so that none would dare defy Us? Can you imagine what a world like that could be, General?!"

Beryl was resplendent and terrifying; Zoicite trembled in her awesome presence. She was always and forever Queenly, but when her zeal overtook her, she may as well have been a Goddess. The very palace around them seemed to shiver to her indomitable will.

"Can you?" she repeated, softly. Zoicite was gasping, sweating profusely.

"No, my liege, I can't. But what a spectacle all the same! What an honor it—"

"Then if it is your honor, General, then you must not fail Me. Do I make Myself clear?" She spoke clearly, deliberately, every word punctuated. Zoicite was almost in tears.

"Yes, my Queen!"

"But you have failed Me. You have failed Me quite marvelously, General."

He swallowed nervously. Death would be a sweet reprieve at this point.

"Not killing Motoki when you had the chance was a minor mistake, easily remedied. Allowing him to find shelter in the Northern Water Tribe, and escalating the situation with the natives was an accident, nothing more. I have forgiven lesser people for greater errors. But to issue My NAME, to draw My royal title into your campaign without My leave, to dare associate Queen Beryl with your incompetence... Oh, yes, Zoicite, I know about that. Already it has begun to spread. My ears are sharper than yours, and are much more spread out. Suffice to say I am deeply displeased. Now Motoki, the Northern Water Tribe, and goodness knows who else knows about My involvement! I allow you your schemes because you are devious, effective, resourceful, and ruthless. I have taken you under My banner by Kunzite's recommendation, and I have not regretted it until now. In the days I have spent since issuing that summons, I have given your actions and their repercussions serious contemplation, and I believe I can find some advantage among their wreckage. It may even work well in My favor, and for that, you shall have My mercy.

"Stand."

Zoicite stood. Beryl's beauty was staggering. She was regally tall, magnificently shaped, courageously strong, valiantly stalwart. Reports of her majestic aura did her no justice. Her eyes burned hotter than any fire, her arms stronger than the foundations of the earth, her voice commanding and bold, her smile sweet as a rain and her scowl baleful as a storm. If there was no Avatar blood in her, then something even greater must have been coursing through her veins. Beryl placed a hand on Zoicite's face, both forgiving and warning.

"Remember that mercy, General. Remember what has come before you, and what is going on now, and what will occupy My kingdom in the future. But most of all, remember Me in all your deeds. Serve Me well and your wildest ambitions will be fulfilled. Fail Me again...well," she trailed off, issuing a smile even Death itself would cower under. "Do not fail Me. It is that simple, General. Do I make Myself clear?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Good. I understand that General Kunzite is here. Knowing your proclivity towards My menagerie, he is likely there, waiting for you. You will be working in tandem with him for the foreseeable future. I trust...this is to your liking?"

"Yes, your majesty. Thank you." Zoicite wasn't stupid. Beryl wasn't letting him work with Kunzite because she knew of their relationship: Kunzite was to oversee all of Zoicite's actions from now on. He would essentially be nothing more than a prisoner, an instrument of Kunzite's will.

But even so, Zoicite wouldn't have traded the world for it. He was dismissed from Beryl and felt the weight of many worlds slide off his shoulders. Any confrontation with Beryl where one walked away intact was one to be grateful for.

…...

Zoicite was still shaking when he returned to Beryl's menagerie, and tried though he might, he couldn't fully calm down even when Kunzite arrived and smiled at him. It was all he could do to keep from collapsing in Kunzite's arms—but he composed himself, content on studying the four-armed mantis specimens on display. Zoicite watched as two of the deadly insects killed each other in combat, and a harmless-looking mudskipper wriggled by and devoured them both.

"It is good to see you again, dear friend," Kunzite announced. He put his arm around Zoicite's shoulder. "To what do I owe this long-overdue reunion?" Zoicite smiled sadly.

"Do you play at verbal sparring, Kunzite, or do you truly not know?"

"I wish to listen to you." It was exactly the thing Zoicite needed to hear, and he finally loosened.

"Beryl called me here. She...well, she was Beryl, what more do I need to say?"

"And judging by your face, the meeting did not go well?" Zoicite shook his head. They were alone, so he accepted Kunzite's embrace. They loved each other—secretly.

"That woman is impossible to please," Zoicite hissed, removing all pretense of formality. "Perfection itself wouldn't be good enough for her. I try so hard, I work myself and my people to the bone... I do everything she asks, in the way that I think you would...the way that she would want it. And it's never enough. I could do a thousand things perfectly, but if I make the tiniest slip, like any human would do, then she..." Zoicite clenched up, and true to his word, Kunzite listened. Finally, after letting a few choice words out, Zoicite composed himself and gave Kunzite a welcoming smile. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so out of sorts with you. I'm sure you're aware that I've been assigned to work under you."

"Yes. I know." Zoicite's eyes glinted salaciously.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've been...under you."

"Zoicite..." Kunzite rolled his eyes and looked away, but there was a smirk on his face. Teasing Kunzite like that was just the remedy Zoicite needed; his mood lifted considerably, and they spent a moment gazing at the wonders of the world. One of the Thunderhorns approached them, but Zoicite showed no fear. He reached out and waited for the mammoth's long trunk to touch his hand.

"What's our first assignment?" he said.

"Must you get down to business so soon? We haven't seen each other in months." Kunzite joined him, caressing the Thunderhorn's nose. There was a handful of feed nearby which found its way to the creature's mouth.

"True... Then what is your pleasure? Besides my company, of course?"

"Is there any other?" Kunzite chuckled. Zoicite smirked and ventured for a more intimate gesture, but was cut off as he heard footsteps approaching. The two men quit their embrace and contented themselves with the animals until the intruder went elsewhere. They were soon disappointed as the menace walked into the menagerie and approached them. He was one of Kunzite's air-bender messengers.

"Pardon me, my lord; I wouldn't dare interrupt you without good cause."

"Very well, Zhobahn, what do you have to report?"

"Sir, your scouts have spotted an air-bison entering our western border. It was carrying one man whom they are certain is a member of King Motoki's Tellurian forces, along with five young women."

"Who were the women?"

"We recognized one as the daughter of Kinsei Aino, a master of the Western Air Temple, and another matched the description of a priestess of Hikawa Temple in the Fire Nation. We don't know who the other three were, but one wore clothes from the Northern Water Tribe, and one had clothes in the fashion of Omashu."

"Was the last one blonde, with long pigtails and buns in her hair?" Zoicite exclaimed. The messenger hesitated before confirming it. "It's them again!" he snarled through gritted teeth. He gave Kunzite an intense look and said, "That's the same group I ran into three days ago, the same ones that stopped me from ending King Motoki's life! The pigtailed blonde and the tomboy from Omashu are the worst: if they hadn't interfered so much, Beryl would have been that much closer to taking over Omashu and I wouldn't have been so humiliated!" Kunzite gave a start, which was rare for him, and glared at the messenger.

"You heard the man! Send a squadron of benders and soldiers to apprehend them! You must capture them and bring them to my fortress by any means necessary!"

"Yes, sir!" The messenger sprinted away as if his life depended on it, leaving Zoicite feeling that much more assured. While his own men were certainly a capable bunch, the people living and working with Queen Beryl always seemed just a little more reliable. He smiled, which caused Kunzite to smile, and without any further interruptions, they were free to resume their previous discourse.

…...

"...And that's when I found you girls. All in all, it was by far the strangest thing that's ever happened to me." Mamoru sat back and let his story sink in. They were amazed, of course, and impressed, and just a little humbled. Bodmall might not have been the Avatar they had been looking for, but she definitely had a secret mastery over the elements and the realm of spirits. They even theorized that she had performed an arcane ritual over the land and sky, causing the storm that had grounded them and the fog that had separated them. How this was possible for any human to achieve was still a mystery—unless, of course, she wasn't human. The girls felt very uncomfortable when faced with this possibility.

"In any case, we're all alive and well, and back on course," Ami said, ever pragmatic. Her own adventures were a little disappointing, or at least the parts she remembered were: she had no idea how she had gotten lost, or for how long she had wandered, and her run-in with the army of creatures who had captured her was vague at best. "I came to in a large structure, like a banquet hall or an inn," she explained. "The creatures led me to a room and locked me in, but they were very gentle and polite about it. They treated me more like a guest than a prisoner."

"That's almost exactly what happened to me," Rei said. "It never even occurred to me that they might be dangerous. My guard never dropped; I just felt...calm around them. Whoever or whatever they were, they were hospitable, and they could definitely cook."

"You can say that again," Makoto chimed in. "I wanted to get some of their recipes, but we couldn't understand each other. Then I tried taking some of their food with me, but I ate it before I could."

"Sounds like Usagi," Minako smirked. Usagi grumbled defensively.

"Hey! I'll have you know my appetite was perfectly normal! Anyway, all that happened to me as well, except that I don't remember how I got out—or I guess I should say, how I was led out. I guess that weird woman called them."

"Let's summarize," Ami said: "We were all separated against our will, wandered through the forest, were apprehended by people wearing animal masks, taken to what I assume to be a guest lodge, kept and fed for awhile, then escorted out where we met up with Mamoru, but we only remember parts of it. Am I right?"

"On the nose," Minako chirped. "Maybe the fish-people just wanted to know who we were, and kept us until they figured it out. I guess that Bodda-whoozits told them we were cool."

"Well, I'm glad they didn't perceive us as enemies," Mamoru concluded. "I would've hated to fight our way through a force that size. Liath alone struck me as a powerful warrior."

"Women warriors..." Makoto sighed and stared off into the sky, absently smiling. Ami glanced over and blushed at how beautiful she looked. A sudden jolt of turbulence returned her focus.

"Whoa, there, Artemis, whoa!" Minako reared him up and flew in a tight circle; she had spotted something unexpected and had to do some dodgy maneuvers to avoid ramming into it. A convoy of air-benders floating on large kites had appeared in the sky; Mamoru instantly went on guard. Considering that Queen Beryl was allies with the Northern Air Temple, and air-benders had been spotted at Kuni's tournament, it made sense for him to be wary.

"Wassup, guys!" Minako called, putting on a cheerful face. "Sorry about that—you know how air-bisons are."

"Are you the daughter of Sifu Kinsei, of the Western Air Temple?" one of them said. Minako looked at her friends quizzically.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Then, by order of General Kunzite, we are placing you and your companions under arrest."

"Whoa, wait a minute! Why? What did we do?" Minako didn't even get a response: a brutal squall slammed into Artemis, sending him and his passengers careening away. Minako tried to counter the wind, but there were too many air-benders; Artemis was out of control. The ground hurtled closer and closer, leaving them only one alternative:

"BAIL!" She issued a thick gust of wind to cushion their fall, but the impact was still painful. All six passengers were scattered; Artemis crashed onto the rooftop of a very sturdy administration building, upsetting only a few tiles. He bounced off, plummeted, fell onto two houses, bounced again, fell again, and plopped down on the ground, issuing a thick cloud of dust and scaring everyone in a twenty foot radius. A nearby food vendor had watched the whole spectacle unfold.

"Oh, thank goodness you didn't fall on me!" he wheezed. "And, um, anyone else, I suppose. But hey, since when do air-bisons fall from the skyOHMYGOODNESS WHAT IS THAT?!" He dove underneath the safety of his counter as ten air-benders on kites flew down the road, pursuing five girls and one man. Columns of fire erupted, loose planks and boards were flung, bricks and stones were being ripped off the road, chilling mist blinded everyone, and a shredding breeze blew it all away. The disaster left just as spontaneously as it had arrived, leaving the man stunned, but relieved.

"Ha...ha...ha...ho, boy, talk about luck!" The air-bison shook itself and lifted off in pursuit, sending one last gale surging around him. The man shielded his produce, sighed when it had calmed, and deflated. He then heard something creaking...and noticed one of the boards of his stall was missing. He had just enough time to skirt away before his livelihood crashed to the ground.

"Ah, well, I guess I had that coming to me. Still, my beautiful radishes..."

With the wind at her back, Minako could easily outpace anyone, but she would never abandon her friends—and besides, her pursuers were just as fast as her, or faster. She had planned on leading the other air-benders to an area with as few people as possible—preferably around a forest so Makoto could work her magic—but the air-benders outnumbered them three to one at least, and soon had them surrounded. To make matters worse, a team of earth-benders joined them, many of them wearing the crest and armor of General Nephrite. As if even that weren't enough, several of Zoicite's water-benders closed in as well. There were at least thirty, maybe forty people there in total, completely surrounding the six travelers (Artemis still hadn't caught up yet). Mamoru wasn't sure what to do: either make account of himself and protect his charges, or yield and avoid bloodshed. He chose the latter.

"Wait! If we surrender, will you promise not to harm these girls?"

"Of course," one of the air-benders replied. "We were given orders to capture, not to kill."

"(Come on, flower-boy, we can take em'!)" Makoto whispered. "(No retreat, no surrender!)"

"Forgive me, my lady, but I cannot put your lives in unnecessary jeopardy, nor the lives of the people of this city. I will peacefully submit myself to—"

Artemis couldn't have come at a worse moment. He barreled directly into the circle of benders, flattening five on impact and bowling over at least eight more. All bets were off then: earth, water, and air assaulted the group without restraint. Fortunately, many of them had been ready to defend themselves: Makoto had already spotted a pile of timber and was flinging heavy logs at everything in her sight. Rei had erected a great wall of fire, and was dissipating the water and incinerating the stone; she was also spreading it out and pushing it against the circle, forcing their enemies back. Minako blocked several of the larger stones and sent several hapless water-benders hurtling backwards; Mamoru slammed his hands to the ground, erecting great pillars to upend anyone still left standing. Ami felt like panicking, but survival instincts kicked in and she kept her cool, searching for a way out. As Makoto hurled a tree into the breach, it opened a gap for them to dart through. She pointed this out and put up a heavy veil of mist to mask their escape.

Usagi felt herself grabbed by Mamoru and just barely managed to keep up. The squadron of benders didn't take long to recover and resume pursuit. The earth-benders among them summoned large barriers of stone to block their way, but they were either broken by Makoto or removed by Mamoru. Minako, who was leading the charge, slipped on a sheet of ice the water-benders had put up, but Ami leaped forward and parted it with a sweep of her arms. Once Usagi was clear, she slammed the sheets against the first unlucky person to come their way. The air-benders slammed them again, but Artemis let out a large roar and shot back with a much stronger burst, followed immediately by Minako, who scattered the enemy like rag dolls.

"I knew we made a good team!" she whooped.

"We're not safe yet!" Rei retorted. She was sniping enemies left and right as they closed in, but there never seemed to be an end to them. They managed to sprint their way out of the commercial district and into a fairly open area, but there were many more earth-benders awaiting them, plus more reinforcements from the sky. Artemis and Minako tried clearing a path, but the combined forces of air and earth pinned them down. The team got to their feet just in time to be surrounded again, and were shoved and lashed into an unoccupied house. Several earth-benders saw fit to bring the structure crashing down upon them; Mamoru and Makoto called forth stone and wood to hold it up while the others escaped. Rei shot down two water-benders coming their way, but her feet got caught in the ground as it snaked around her legs, then her waist. Minako was encompassed as well, and soon Artemis was restrained with ropes and chains.

Ami was elated as she noticed a well off to the side of the houses. Just as everything seemed hopeless, she sprinted over to it and summoned every scrap of her training to call forth a deluge. A large serpent of water blasted out of the well and swept the enemies away; she directed it left, right, sideways, surging like a vengeful dragon. She might have gone on to save the day, but her offensive was frozen, literally, in midair. Zoicite's water-benders had caught up, and together, they had overcome her assault. They bashed the large block of ice against Ami and the earth-benders took care of the rest. Mamoru and Makoto strained against the house; they both ordered the other to find Usagi and bring her to safety; a current of fierce wind blew them away, ending the discussion and the integrity of the house. It collapsed and Usagi was nowhere to be seen.

"USAGIIIII!" Rei let out a piercing scream, but was silenced as the earth encompassing her covered her mouth. Makoto struggled to stand, but was overwhelmed. It took swords and spears to convince Mamoru to end his resistance.

"Wait! One of our friends was buried in that rubble!" The soldier restraining him glanced over at the ruined house and shrugged.

"If your friend was caught in that, then she's already dead." He pitilessly led Mamoru on; the other girls screamed and protested, but they were powerless. They had come all this way only to lose Usagi and fall into the hands of their enemy.

The end of "No Safe Haven"

Next time: "A Captive Audience"