Light...death...light...death...
"Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. I've read, that things inanimate have mov'd; and, as with living souls, have been inform'd, by magic numbers and persuasive sound." -William Congreve, The Mourning Bride
AVATAR
The Celestial Sailors
BOOK THREE: DEATH
30: Rei's Concert
"WAIT!"
Lord Kuni and Lady Iku spotted fifteen or so benders, led by the Avatar, leap onto a large tablet and hurl themselves away from the battlefield, just as the tide was slowly beginning to turn. The smaller Lightbringers were bunching together to form titans, smashing air-benders out of the sky and sweeping aside massive cavalry and infantry. Kuni and Iku had been trying to rally their dragon-riders against them when they saw what they perceived to be a retreat—and from the Avatar, of all people.
"Stop!" Iku cried. "Where are you going? Rei! Nergal!" Her efforts were in vain; the tablet was long gone before her words were formed. Her heart sank; she felt confused, frightened, and a little betrayed.
"What the devil possessed them to do such a thing?" her husband growled. He suddenly had to hold on for dear life, as his dragon reeled back, surprised by the enemy. Kuni blasted two of them with a single lunge, saving his mount, but the others were taken down by someone else. A wild inhuman creature galloped into the fray, wielding a staff, horns protruding from its head. Kuni would have been appalled if he hadn't recognized her.
"Don't worry about it, Fire Lord," Bodmall stated. "They went off to find a way to break that barrier. We just need to hold the fort." It was Bodmall; she and Red Hare circled around the Lord and Lady, her staff tracing flames on the grassy surface. When she completed the circle Bodmall gestured to the ring of fire, which erupted into a dragon, lunging and lashing at the Lightbringers.
"Ysbryd y ddaear, yr wyf yn eich galw!" she shouted, the ancient Fomoriian tongue an invigorating lash of frost. She thrust her staff into the ground; the surface erupted as a dozen enormous stone hand reached out to grasp and smash and flatten the enemy. "Byddwch yn bollt tân!" she exclaimed, slapping Red Hare's hide, igniting him in lightning. Unharmed, the horse whinnied with bloodlust and stormed into the fray, tendrils stabbing mercilessly.
"Don't just sit there staring!" Bodmall shouted. "You're the Fire Lord, aren't you?" Kuni shook himself out of his awe, slamming another fireball into the enemy.
"My apologies, Lady Shaman. Iku, let us muster our forces and clear a path for the Avatar when she returns. I want nothing to stand in her way!" Iku's astonishment turned to determination; she nodded and guided her dragon to the right flank while her husband went left. The forces of the world were rallied once more, now with a new mission: let no Lightbringer stand in the Avatar's way.
Bodmall smiled as a surge of warriors gradually split the Lightbringer army in two, leaving a relatively spare path. "That's more like it," she sighed, before turning her attention to Iblis. The Lord of all Lion-Turtles was preoccupied with the fight, but somehow it sensed an unusual pair of eyes studying it, and turned its gaze to the source. Bodmall and Iblis stared at each other in wonder and amazement. She was about to offer a rude gesture, but was taken by surprise as a Lightbringer shot at her. She squeaked and ducked, avoiding incineration by a literal hair; unfortunately, her saber-tooth deer headdress paid the price for her inattentiveness, and was destroyed. The Lightbringer attacked again, causing Bodmall to stumble, but was just as quickly dismissed as an ornate spear plunged through its body. On the other side was a rather smug woman.
"This is no time to slack off. On your feet, derwydd." Liath extended her hand, which Bodmall grudgingly accepted.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm moving. Hey, there's a big one on your right." Quick as a wink, Liath dropped her spear, kicking it in midair. It plunged through one of the titans, barbs shooting out of it until they had coiled around the entire giant, shredding it to bits. A few smaller Lightbringers were caught by the barbs as the titan fell; Liath gestured and the spear returned to her hand, resuming its original shape.
"Thanks. Couldn't have done it without you. Oh, um..." Now it was Liath's turn to gesture; eight Lightbringers had converged while Bodmall's back was turned. She lazily turned around, pointing her finger; a lightning bolt surged out, obliterating the group. Bodmall blew a plume of smoke trailing from her finger and shrugged.
"See? I'm not slacking off. Come on, the Windbag Ape's in trouble." Liath grinned and set off with her companion, enemies crumbling in their wake.
…...
The large tablet skidded to a halt somewhere between a river and a forest, with a rolling hillside glistening underneath the two suns. This seemed like as good a place as any to gather resources for the next phase in the operation.
"All right, Wheeler," Mamoru said, "what's the plan?" Wheeler dug his fist into his palm.
"Okay, we're gonna need something huge to break that barrier, right? I'm talkin' gigantic here! So what we do is, we build a stone giant, march it up to that big turtle, wind up for a big swing, then let em' have it!"
"Hoo doggie, I like this plan!" Gi squealed. Linka was much less optimistic.
"Ack, where do I even begin with this one? It is like a child smashing their toys together."
"Yes, that's exactly what it is!" Wheeler exclaimed, oblivious to her concerns. "So who's with me?!"
"But how will we build something that big?" Minako asked. "More importantly, how are we going to transport it over there?"
"Well," Marduk considered, "we do have a lot of materials around here. There's plenty of earth, and that river should have some sand if, uh...what was your name?" She looked to Kwame, who introduced himself.
"I doubt wood and sand alone would be enough to construct such an effigy," he added. "We would need something to support it."
"Which is where Makoto's wood-bending comes into play," Nabu noted. She peered over at the taller girl. "Could you do that? I believe there are enough materials here for an improvised skeleton." Makoto nodded slowly, taking in the nearby forest. They would need fire, too, and mud, and would likely need air for propulsion...but Wheeler's vision went even bigger than that.
"Okay, picture this," he said, gesturing broadly: "riding on one of its arms are all our water-benders, and on the other are the air-benders. Me and the other fire-benders are on its mouth while the earth-benders move it along with the Avatar. Suen, you and Ma-Ti will be our navigator and lookout. You'll tell us where to go and what to do. If the Lightbringers come at us, we can just squash em' like bugs!"
"Or blast em' with water!" Gi cheered.
"Or blow them away with air!" Ishtar added.
"And I suppose we'll be responsible for breathing fire," Rei muttered. She sighed as memories of her ill-fated stunt at the lake resurfaced. Wheeler just grinned.
"See? It's not such a terrible plan!" Linka scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Why is smashing or burning something your solution to everything?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Suen grumbled. Linka sighed and humbly shook her head.
"No, but what will you do if it does not work?"
"Hey, it'll work!" Wheeler insisted. "Ya gotta be more optimistic there, Linka! Besides, I'll bet that overgrown slug can't reproduce Lightbringers and keep his barrier up at the same time. You just watch, something's gonna crack."
"It seems like something has already cracked," she muttered, but since it seemed like the best option they had, she went along with it. With Bodmall protecting them and the rest of the army keeping Iblis and the Lightbringers busy, Operation Build-a-Giant could commence unimpeded. Mamoru, Marduk, and Kwame excavated huge stones, slabs, boulders, gravel, shale, anything they could dig up; Gi, Nabu, and Ami mixed water with earth to create mortar; Wheeler, Rei, and Nergal baked the earth until it was solid; Ishtar, Minako, and Linka carved and shaped; Makoto ripped trees apart to create the support; Usagi brought everything together into a single effigy, rising higher and higher until its summit eclipsed one of the suns. Together the three teams fused and forged and shaped and molded and twisted and expanded, a task that took an enormous physical toll, but was eventually completed, and under an hour at that. There was no time to admire their handiwork, so the air-benders vaulted everyone to their positions.
"Let's try walking first," Suen called, "but take it slowly, one step at a time." Mamoru, Makoto, Kwame, and Marduk synchronized, carefully lifting the left leg and setting it down. They then lifted the right leg and set it down in front of the left. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"We're good!" Marduk shouted. She then muttered under her breath, "So far." They then took another step, and another, causing the whole island to tremble. The giant wasn't falling apart. It wasn't disintegrating or toppling over or cracking or even splintering. This was...working.
"Is everyone okay?" Usagi called. The earth-benders twisted and lifted their arms in unison, causing the giant to raise its hand and give a cheeky thumbs-up. Usagi smiled. "All right, here we go! One step at a time, everyone!" The earth-benders continued to guide the giant with Suen and Ma-Ti's assistance; meanwhile Minako temporarily left her post to visit Rei, who was concentrating on the horizon. Any moment now, they'd be returning to the battle, where the real trouble would begin.
"Hey," Minako waved, "I just had an idea. What say we add a little flair to the fight?" Rei twitched a little, although she knew better than to be surprised like this. Of course Minako wouldn't be satisfied with "just" storming into battle on the shoulders of a stone giant.
"What did you have in mind, fireworks?"
"No, something even better!" She produced a metallic megaphone borrowed from her father, the kind a street barker or performer might use to call in a crowd. She flicked her finger against it, sending out a rippling silvery tone. "Rei, you're about to live out your dream."
"My dream?" she said, blinking in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"This megaphone allows people to amplify their voices. If you spoke loudly enough, and had a good position, you could be heard for miles. Haven't you always wanted to perform in front of an audience? Think about it: we're about to head into a battle where the entire world will be listening! With this megaphone, you'll be able to reach them all." Rei blushed hotly; there was no way she was prepared for something so outrageous! Singing to a small group of close friends was one thing, but to the entire world?! Minako's expression was supportive as she pressed the megaphone into Rei's trembling hands, but all the courage and willpower she had been harboring up to now had left her. She swallowed, looking to her companions. Everyone, even Suen's group, grinned at her.
"Yo, you can do it, Rei!" Wheeler shouted.
"Show everyone what a Fire Nation priestess is made of!" Nergal cheered.
"You got this!" Gi added. Rei perspired, cleared her throat...
And took a deep breath. She croaked into the megaphone.
"He...hello? Testing..." Her voice carried uncomfortably far, and she cringed. Usagi reached out to her, glowing with love.
"Don't worry, you'll be great. Of course, I could always sing in your place if you're afraid..."
"Oh, is that how it is, huh?" She crowed with pride, suddenly feeling a burst of inspiration. Rei grasped the megaphone tightly, puffed her chest out, and decided to give the people of the world something to remember.
…...
The path might have been cleared for the Avatar, but the allies were paying for it heavily. An entire unit of soldiers had been incinerated while trying to escort some of the civilians to safety; several badger-moles and their riders were overrun; Chief Wathohuck of the Southern Water Tribe was slain; fourteen Thunderhorns were down; fatigue was beginning to set in. Sifu Uta had been picking off Lightbringers from her glider when she noticed one of the titans going after a convoy of air bisons. She heedlessly drove straight towards it, summoning a billowing tornado. Suddenly, a column of Lightbringers shot out of the sky, slamming directly into her glider. She abandoned it, screaming, keeping herself aloft long enough to sail into the titan's mouth, where she unleashed an explosive blast of air before being consumed. The titan fell; her acolytes stood numbly before bowing their heads in reverence.
"Bring the wounded over here!" Saeko Mizuno shouted, slamming another wall of ice into the ground. Mathena and Ku Sheng were carrying people on their backs as they scrambled toward her; Unazuki and Reika brought reinforcements to close the gap, archers firing as Lightbringers pounced upon them. Saeko fired a few shots of water before taking the wounded in her care; Mathena and Ku Sheng whirled around, ready to jump back into the fray.
"Cover the princess!" Mathena shouted. "I'll take the Captain!" She hurled her enchanted spear, skewering six; she called it back and slashed wildly, plowing through two more. Mathena instinctively raised her arm to protect herself as a fiery arm came down on her, and she felt skin and muscle blistering, boiling, burning. She snarled, "Is that the best you can do?!", killing the shining sentinel, wiping sweat from her brow, staggering and gasping as more filed on.
"Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from," she boasted, although weariness and the pain in her arm crippled her bluster. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ku Sheng overwhelmed by the enemy, even as Unazuki and her retinue struggled bitterly. Reika fought just as hard as several Tellurians were transported to safety; Mathena grit her teeth as two more fell, another enemy struck her, she went down on one knee...
A refreshing sea breeze blew her back just in time for stone walls to smash against the approaching foes, clearing a path. A surge of water swept in, washing the survivors away, giving her allies time to retreat. Mathena was helped to her feet by a green-skinned man with blue and pink hair, his ears pointed sharply and his eyes a pair of disquieting rubies.
"Are you all right? We'll cover you! Ann, how's Captain Nishimura?"
"On her way! What about the princess?"
"I'm fine!" she announced for herself. She saluted the two Fomoriians, Ael and Ann. "I thank you. You've saved many lives."
"The fight's not over yet," Ael said. Another wave approached; in the distance he saw Oomari and Sifu Ho Hsien-ku charge in to help sand-benders, while air-bisons struggled alongside Tellurians. "Do you think you can handle yourself?"
"We just needed a few seconds to get the wounded out," Reika replied. She looked at her shield, splintered and burnt, then at the chipped ax that was half-melted into slag. The Captain of the Tellurians stretched her neck and shoulders, then stirred her mount forward. "Go where you're most needed, my friends. Hyaa!" She galloped off back to the front lines, and despite her assurances, Ael and Ann couldn't help but follow her. The situation was becoming grim everywhere, as attrition and weariness began to kick in. Too many were falling or retreating; every charge was met with grim resistance; powerful benders and warriors were exhausting themselves; Iblis's barrier held strong, the enemy was pouring in tirelessly, and the Avatar was nowhere in sight. Kasei Hikawa rushed in to save Blie Xu only to be struck down; Gurio broke his sixth sword and was forced to retreat; Lark lost another Thunderhorn; Captain Scum's brave crew was surrounded; the stone wall surrounding Nephrite and Wu Yung fell to rubble.
And then, the earth shook; and then it shook again, and again. Thum. Thum. Boom. Boom.
The fighting stopped as a giant appeared on the horizon—and a young woman's voice sang out for joy:
Your love, lifting me higher
Than I've ever been lifted before
So keep it it up, quench my desire
And I'll be at your side forever more
It was difficult to say which sight was more astonishing: the million or so allies of the Avatar and the army of Lightbringers locked in place, gawking and staring like children in a toy store, or the gargantuan stone creature stomping over the horizon, sixteen young men and women riding gaily, one of them singing with a voice so clear it carried across the island. Even Iblis, long-lived and seasoned, recoiled in surprise. Its legs stretched over every tree; its arms swung like the ocean at storm; its head dispersed the clouds; its chest puffed boldly; its voice dispelled all sorrow and pain; its passengers danced and sang along:
You know your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me)
Higher (lifting me) Higher and higher (higher)
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on (love keeps lifting me)
Lifting me (lifting me) Higher and higher (higher)
"Well," Haruka muttered, "now I've seen everything."
Lightbringers scattered as the singing giant waded past them, pausing to crush a few under its heel. A number tried to fight back, but the giant's hands merely swept them away like breadcrumbs. Hundreds gathered their resolve and swarmed the giant; Ma-Ti called out for the air-benders to fight, and a billowing blast shot out of the giant's left hand, flattening their numbers. A second surge came out of its right hand, bending a river to its whims and washing the enemies away. A titanic Lightbringer was formed, but it barely cleared the giant's knees; it reared back and blew waves of fire on its head. Three more titans charged; the giant kicked one, dismissed another with a swift chop, and obliterated the third with a planet-cracking punch. Rei's confidence surged and she belted out another verse as her allies cheered.
Now once I was down hearted
Disappointment was my closest friend
But then you came and it soon departed
And you know he never showed his face again
That's why your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on lifting me (love keeps lifting me)
Higher (lifting me) Higher and higher (higher)
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on (love keeps lifting me)
Lifting me (lifting me) Higher and higher (higher)
The Lightbringers threw themselves at the giant in vain, and any that managed to get past its monumental defenses were merely picked off by the passengers. Ma-Ti's staff was useless against them, but Usagi quickly forged a rod of solid granite for him, igniting the ends with ice and fire; he whirled and struck mercilessly, bouncing and weaving like a monkey-bee. Even Suen accounted for herself, though she lost the sword she had borrowed from Keya. As it melted in her numbing grasp, she lashed out instinctively, calling on her chi-bending in a desperate strike. The Lightbringer was repulsed, unharmed, but Suen found herself undamaged as well; the last gift of Lemuria evidently stood strong against the forces Iblis controlled. Before a rematch could ensue, though, the giant reached down, picked the Lightbringer up with its fingers, and flicked it away.
"Thanks!" Suen waved. She spotted Iblis glowering in the distance and guided the giant as it closed the gap. Iblis tried to back away, but the giant was the faster of the two, and clutched onto the creature's head with two gargantuan hands. The barrier held firm, so the giant let him have it with a devastating left hook—then a haymaker to the jaw—then a straight jab to the bulbous nose—then an uppercut, straight to the chin. The giant mercilessly pummeled Iblis's barrier, each shot causing the ground to tremble and the Lord of all Lion-Turtles to scowl. Another hit; another, another; countless punches striking its face, over and over, strengthened by Rei's song.
I'm so glad, I finally found you
Yes, that one in a million boy
And now with my loving arms around you
Honey, I can stand up and face the world
Let me tell you, your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on lifting me (love keeps lifting me)
Higher (lifting me) Higher and higher (higher)
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on (love keeps lifting me)
Lifting me (lifting me) Higher and higher (higher)
Finally Usagi shifted the giant's mass to its fist, coating it with fire and ice, propelled by a gale, striking with such unimaginable magnitude that the sea roiled and the sky thundered. Iblis's barrier broke, and the Lion-Turtle staggered back, groaning and bellowing. The allies whistled and cheered wildly as the song ended; Rei stood breathless and glowing on the giant's head, overwhelmed from euphoria, her knees shaking with joy.
"Encore, encore!" Minako shouted, and soon everyone was demanding more. Rei smiled giddily, her arms trembling, her stomach twisting in knots.
"You want another?" she said. Her friends roared in approval. She then shouted to the teeming masses below, "Do you want another?" Their cheers carried for miles, and Rei's skin crawled in exuberance. "Okay," she replied solemnly, "hold on tight, everyone: we're gonna really let him have it now!" Rei bobbed her head and tapped her sandals to an imaginary beat, took a breath, and roared:
You better think (Think)
Think about what you're trying to do to me
Think (Think, think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free
The giant swung its massive stone fists, crashing against Iblis's head—one, two—sprayed fire in his eyes, rammed its knee in the Lion-Turtle's body, slammed an icy palm on its face. When Iblis opened his maw to bellow in protest, a blast of wind shot down his throat, stunning him. The giant slammed its fist on his head, poked him in the eyes, kicked him viciously, then grabbed hold of Iblis's mountainous shell...
Let's go back, let's go back
Let's go way on way back when
I didn't even know you
You couldn't have been too much more than ten (Just a child)
I ain't no psychiatrist, I ain't no doctor with degrees
But it don't take too much high IQ to see what you're doing to me
Leaned backward, lifting the gargantuan mammoth into the air...
You better think (Think)
Think about what you're trying to do to me
Yeah, think (Think, think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free
And slammed him into a hard suplex.
'Cause freedom (Freedom)
Stands for freedom (Freedom)
Oh, freedom
Yeah, freedom, right now
Freedom (Freedom)
Oh, freedom (Freedom)
Give me some freedom
Oh, freedom, oh, right now
The Scion of Lugh moaned as he tried to right himself; the giant scrambled to stand, tackling Iblis before he could recover, grabbing him again and throwing him as far as it could. The entire island buckled as the colossus crashed and rolled; the giant shot fireballs, ice, wind. Iblis righted himself and summoned hundreds of Lightbringers, heedlessly firing them at the giant. It plodded onward, extending its long arm and slapping Iblis right in the face; then another, followed by a crushing straight punch to the nose, issuing gallons of blood. The crowds went into a frenzy: lifting each other up, roaring, clapping, whistling, hugging one another. Rei continued singing, perspiration glistening off her rapturous face.
Yeah, think about it!
You, think about it!
There ain't nothing you could ask
I could answer you but I won't (I won't)
But I was gonna change, but I'm not
If you keep doing things I don't
You better think (Think)
Think about what you're trying to do to me
Oh oh-oh-oh think (What you're tryna to do to me)
(Think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free
Iblis finally went on the offensive, tackling and digging long claws into the giant. He bit off a chunk of stone and tipped the giant over onto its side. The earth and air-benders braced their monumental friend; it stretched its arm out, catching itself; Iblis was on top of it at once, slamming his enormous weight on the giant. The arm cracked and gave way; fire belched from the giant's face, forcing Iblis into a retreat. It vaulted to its feet again, the arm patching itself, just in time to brace for another tackle. Iblis shoved with all his might; the giant held its ground; the two were locked into a godly stalemate, fire and wind and water against light. Hundreds of enemies leaped off their master onto the giant; it backed off as its passengers were overwhelmed. A glowing light erupted on the giant's chest, the Avatar come to life, and countless spikes issued from the giant's body, impaling the Lightbringers. Rei continued singing, undaunted and inexorable.
People walking around everyday
Playing games and taking scores
Trying to make other people lose their minds
Well, be careful you don't lose yours
Oh, think (Think)
Think about what you're trying to do to me
Wooh! Think (Think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free
Iblis rammed into the giant again, using so much force that it brought the colossus to the ground, where it could bite and claw and crush unimpeded. Huge stony fists struck back; the two traded blows for a moment before the giant lifted its leg up, crashing into an area of Iblis's body far more vulnerable than others. The Scion of Lugh winced, breaking his defenses; the giant shoved its enemy away, backing off so it could mend. Above it all a single voice rallied the allies:
You need me (Need me)
And I need you (Don't you know?)
Without each other
There ain't nothing neither can do
Oh, yeah, think about me
(What you're tryin' do to me)
When I'm gone, baby
Think about it right now
Yeah, right now
It landed a skull-cracking hit on Iblis's head while the Lion-Turtle recovered, but he grabbed the giant's arm before it could pull away, biting down with so much force that it tore right off. Of course, that was little more than an inconvenience; Kwame and Marduk simply took control over the arm, flinging it about like an oversized mosquito-bee, smacking Iblis several more times. The Lion-Turtle shook out of the assault and smashed the arm, reducing it to debris. He puffed himself up, drawing in a deep breath to—no, he was drawing in the light, focusing it into a single point. Usagi didn't recognize the attack that had once been her demise, but she felt its power, and feared it. Iblis turned his head away from the giant towards the armies still engaged with the Lightbringers; the giant grabbed him by the neck, squeezing and pulling with all its might, but the energy continued to gather, a light far surpassing the sun centering in the Lordly behemoth's mouth. It was going to go off and kill countless thousands any moment now, so in a brave fit of desperation, the team of benders guided their colossus directly in front of Iblis's mouth, absorbing the blow completely.
There was little left of their effigy after that, and what remained crumbled to bits. Artemis and Ivanushka swooped in to catch everyone as they fell, groaning considerably under the weight. The armies had been saved and the barrier was down, and while Iblis was certainly hurt, that didn't stop him from making more Lightbringers. As numerous as the Avatar's allies were, they'd eventually be overwhelmed, so now was the time to finish this. Iblis seemed to sense this, and sent five columns of twenty Lightbringers each to shield him from an attack. Usagi and her companions dismounted and stood warily. They lacked any real means of killing Iblis; practically the entire forest was gone, and any bender powerful enough to construct a weapon was either indisposed or exhausted. She knew they couldn't give up yet, but...
And then, unexpectedly, one of the suns flickered, trembling, as an inextinguishable shadow passed over it. It flitted and fell with the grace of twilight, a black beacon in a blanched world. Iblis took notice, and grimaced. Usagi saw it, too, her heart skipping a beat as the newfound darkness yielded promise—and peril.
It was Hotaru.
The End of "Rei's Concert"
Next time: "Angel of Death"
Author's notes:
The songs are "Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson and "Think" by Aretha Franklin. Yes, Rei is singing Motown in an Avatar/Sailor Moon crossover, while riding on a giant stone statue, and fighting a Lion-Turtle. I don't care if it's incredulous or even stupid; it's my story, and I say it's the most epic thing you'll EVER READ ABOUT. Besides, Korra and company fought a mech; I'm just cranking that up to eleven. I have to; it's the finale, and it's only going to get crazier from here on.