Earth...Fire...Water...Air... This is the age of the new Avatar, and after many years of chaos, the world is poised to enter into a time of prosperity and peace. But every light casts a shadow, and in the days to come, the very balance of the universe will be in danger, and the true purpose of the Avatar will be revealed. The Avatar's name is Usagi, a warrior of love and justice, and despite all the great deeds she has accomplished, her story is not over yet!
AVATAR
The Celestial Sailors
BOOK THREE: DEATH
11: The Death-Bender
Due to the international delicacy and importance of capturing the traitorous Sifu Mishkin, three world powers would join forces. It made perfect sense for a fugitive to hide out in the Kolau Mountains; bandits and criminals had done the same in years past. Geographically, it nestled between the Great Divide, Hei Bai's Forest, Omashu, and the Si Wong Desert, but part of it bordered the Serpent's Pass, and it also had access to a river in the northeast and the ocean in the southwest. The countless mountains stretching across the area could've hidden an army for years (a fact which more than one Avatar, including Sung Chiang, had used to their advantage over the ages), so Sifu Mishkin would have a near-limitless area to run or hide in.
Motoki would bring his forces to bear the most on this hunt. He had troops stationed at all border crossings, checkpoints, and hidden passages, and even enlisted the aid of Hakim and his sand-benders to patrol the northwestern Si Wong. Mamoru's forces would be positioned at the Serpent's Pass, and his navy would skirt the waterways. Boris, Ilyich, and various acting leaders from the Eastern Air Temple would watch the skies, and Ho Hsien-ku even promised air support from the north. Darryl and Rubella would be covering the ocean, along with Motoki's own navy, and Fire Lord Kuni even offered a few ships as backup. It seemed like overkill, but Mishkin had proved himself difficult to capture. Besides, some of Mamoru's talks about unity were starting to rub off.
A joint union between North and South Earth Kingdoms would cover the Kolau region itself. The Avatar volunteered to work with King Motoki and Queen Makoto (it still felt a little odd addressing her friend in that manner), and would lead the primary search party, with Reika and fifty hand-picked Tellurians in the second party. Both teams would be given universal passports to grant them access to anywhere they needed to be, as well as messenger hawks to communicate with each other. Reika's team had badger-moles to dig through the mountains, and a few air bison on loan from the Nomads; the Avatar's team would go as they were, five girls and an air bison (with one cat inconspicuously nestled in with them). Reika's team would cover the south, while the Avatar would fly north. With any luck, it wouldn't take them more than a week to find Mishkin.
"Hey," Rei said as they skimmed over the southernmost mountain range, "do you think Haruka and Michiru will be around here?"
"It's possible," Usagi shrugged. "I know looking for Mishkin isn't their top priority, but they said they'd help out."
"I honestly don't know if we can rely on them," Rei murmured, gazing out blankly at the long stretch of black rock and white snow. "I don't even know if we can trust them. They seem like the kind of people who'd be our enemies if the situation called for it."
"What?!" Minako bleated. "No way! Haruka would never do that! She's way too cool to raise her hand against us! She's the kind of person who has a code and sticks to it!" Rei frowned in frustration.
"You're just saying that because she has a pretty face—and she's an air-bender."
"Hey, except for Kunzite, I've never met an air-bender I couldn't trust." Makoto also vouched for Haruka, having spent some time with her a few weeks earlier. There had been difficulties and...differences between them, true, but Makoto felt like Haruka could be trustworthy, even friendly. Ami vouched for Michiru, noting that her mother never let her guard down around anyone she didn't trust. Minako groaned.
"Aw, man, you two had awesome adventures with them while I got stuck with these two bozos!"
"Gee, thanks," Rei snarled (even Usagi looked offended). She took a deep breath to refocus. "Anyway, whether we can trust them or not, we shouldn't rely on them. Makoto, where is the best place for us to start our investigation?"
"Probably Mokusei. It's the city I was born in. I haven't been back there in years, though, so a lot's probably changed."
"Oh, wow," Usagi grinned, scooting right up to her wood-bending friend, "so we finally get to see your hometown, huh? Say, if you haven't been there in years, and you're supposed to be the Duchess of Kolau, who's been ruling in your place?"
"One of Motoki's regents. I grew up there and went to school there, but I spent most of my time in Omashu. I figured since I was gonna marry its king, I may as well get to know him better. You actually met me during one of my school holidays, and, uh..." Makoto grinned nervously as her face turned pale. "I...sort of missed out on a few years of studies, so, ah..."
"Well, we can't let that happen," Ami chimed in. She was reading, no surprise there, and marked her place as she pointed at Makoto. "Once we find Mishkin, we should catch you up on everything you missed."
"But I already have my hands full helping Usagi and ruling alongside Motoki," Makoto cringed. "B-besides, I already have all the basics down, and it's not like a few more months of schooling will really make a difference..."
"They will if you're going to be a diplomat," Rei interjected cattily. "Motoki did say he wanted you to be his representative for international affairs. You can't be much help to him if you only have half your education covered!"
"But guys," she wailed, "that'll take forever!"
"(Is that seriously how I sound?)" Usagi muttered to Rei. The fire priestess nodded.
"You may as well be two peas in the same pod."
"Harsh, Rei," she grumbled. Ami and Minako volunteered to help Makoto with her studies, and even Rei offered to chip in when she could. They all agreed it was best they put that off for another time, however, and focus on the matter at hand. Makoto directed them to Mokusei, Kolau's capitol city and also its largest. It was less than a third of the size of Omashu, but still sprawling and impressive in scope. There were thousands of trees in bloom everywhere, pink and green and blue and brown glistening in the morning sunlight. Two immense oaks stood guard over the main gateway, where the Kino family crest was emblazoned in solid emerald. The guards bowed immediately as Makoto approached them, and opened the gate. Makoto took a moment to caress the two oaks before returning home.
Mokusei was too large for them to travel in as a group, so Makoto directed everyone to split up and search different areas of the city. As the ruling figurehead, she volunteered to ask around the Duke's old estate, along with the embassy, city hall, and house of legislature (which sounded SO exciting that the others couldn't wait to start running in the opposite direction just so Makoto could have all the fun to herself). Rei would wind her way around city security, starting at the gates and barracks and working her way through police stations, sentry posts, and municipal buildings. Ami, no surprise, would ask around the various city colleges, while Minako took the transportation and communication areas and Usagi was thrust into the merchants' quarter. They all agreed to give a signal if they found anything, and would meet back at the Duke's estate by nightfall. In a surprising shift in behavior, it was Rei who was most apprehensive about splitting up while Minako was perfectly fine with it.
"Don't worry," Makoto said, assuring them with a wink. "This is my hometown, after all. We're as safe here as we are in Ba Sing Se!" Makoto had clearly forgotten just how "safe" Ba Sing Se had actually been during the last crisis, but that certainly didn't deter her. Rei sighed and urged everyone to be careful, sparing Usagi a fleeting glimpse before heading off. Usagi cradled her cat pensively.
"What was that look for? Oh, well—come on, Luna, let's see what sort of food they're selling here. I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"
The closest town market was just starting to get crowded as Usagi penetrated her way through the various sights, sounds, and smells. There seemed to be booths of all the colors imaginable, every one selling something completely different: carpets woven from Air Nomads, precious spices from the Sai Wong, skin rejuvenation treatment from the swamp, herbs and medicines from the Water Tribe, armor and weapons forged by the finest smiths in the Fire Nation, shoes from Omashu, wine from Ba Sing Se, precious gems and jewelry from the Hinterlands (a few bore an uncanny resemblance to the Tears of Apsu, Usagi noticed grimly), furniture from the woodlands of Hei Bai's forest, and countless crops, fish, flanks of meat, cheese, milk, juice, beer, and bread, all local. Usagi was pondering how much she'd need to spend in order to cobble together a mashmeal when Luna started skittering away.
"Hey, wait a minute, Luna! Where are you going?" She scooped the protesting black ball of fuzz up before she could attack a fishmonger, scolding her smartly. Usagi settled on a bag of mixed fruit, cheese, rolls, and sweets, only remembering the purpose of her visit after shoveling half a papaya in her mouth. She asked if any of the vendors had seen any Air Nomads and was pointed to a countless number of them wandering around. She then asked if any of them were from the Eastern Air Temple.
"How should I know?" one man grumbled. "They all look and act alike to me."
"But don't monks from the east all talk in a strange accent?" He scoffed.
"They all sound alike, too. Why don't you try the embassy?" Usagi sighed; Makoto was already covering that part of town. Jewelers, sculptors, soup kitchens, jugglers, kebab grillers, tart vendors...none of them were of much help. Usagi was about to head into a travel agency, remembering how useful Umino could be at times, when Luna once again wrestled out of her grasp and scrambled away.
"Ugh, that darn cat!" Luna actually made it into the crowd this time, immediately becoming lost. Usagi spotted her familiar onyx coat and whipped a little wind around her to slow her down, then darted after her cat and snatched her off the ground.
"What is up with you today, Luna? Am I bad company or something?" Luna let out an innocent mwowl, which usually worked to get her out of trouble. Usagi sighed. "Don't run off again, okay? Mom and dad will kill me if I lose you. Come on, stay nestled up in my hair. I know how much you like playing with it." She fixed Luna to her buns like a living hat and continued her search. The travel agency couldn't help her, nor could the noodle vendor, a group of coolies, several other monks, a traveling swordsman, or anybody in the carpenter's quarter. Usagi even ran into a group of fans, and enlisted their help after signing a few autographs. She was considering going into the entertainment district when Luna slipped from her grasp one more time, bolting into a full-on sprint.
"Oh, for crying out loud! Someone stop that cat!" Usagi barreled her way between a large cluster of people, apologizing as she squeezed through them, hopped over a low stone wall, and nearly ran into a lacquerware stall. She apologized again, scanned the marketplace, and spotted a small black object darting away from her. Baring her teeth, she shouted for Luna to stop and sprinted after her, weaving and jumping around more people. Luna led her up a small stone stairway, down a cobblestone path, around a convoy of donkeydillo riders, past seven booths each more determined to sell Usagi something than the last. As she ran, the skies darkened and a light drizzle of rain began to pelt her face, making pursuit all the more difficult. Usagi finally spotted Luna wedged between an exotic seafood stall and a produce cart, batting at an exposed marlin tail.
"Luna!" Usagi wheezed. "Stop! No! Bad kitty!" She skidded to a halt but not before bumping into a tall, thin, dark-skinned man, his hair curling into a mohawk on an otherwise bald head. When Luna noticed him, she immediately began yowling and hissing.
"Sorry...about...that," Usagi gasped, bent over and breathless. "Been running...after...cat!"
"Oh? Is this your cat?" Mohawk-Man bent down to scoop her up, but Luna swiped at him with her claws. Usagi glared at her and smacked her head before retrieving her.
"Yeah, sorry about that. She's been acting strange ever since we came to this city. Luna, you know better than to act that way around strangers!" Luna let out another howl before mewling defensively. The man got a good look at the girl and immediately recognized her telltale golden pigtails.
"Ah, do I not know you from somewhere? You are, ah...the Avatar, yes?"
"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah, that's me—and I see that you're a monk." The man flinched, apparently shy about his humble visage. Usagi pressed on: "Say, I'm looking for a monk, from the Eastern Air Temple. Would you know anyone around here like that? Shot in the dark, I know..." The man backed away nervously, wringing his hands.
"Ah, well, uh, I-I am from the Eastern Air Temple, but I do not think you are looking for me. A-as a matter of fact, I am...just passing through here on my way back home—you see, I went off to visit our northern brothers and sisters, and now I-I'm trying to get back home..."
"Oh, I see," she replied amicably. Usagi gave him the standard Air Nomad greetings, which he did not return. The man grinned nervously as Luna fought to escape from Usagi's arms. "Calm down!" she snapped.
"Ah, well," the man stammered, "it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Avatar, but I must be leaving now. Say hello to your eastern friend when you meet them." He nodded and offered a timid wave as he turned around...
"Wait. What's your name?" He stiffened. Hesitated.
"W...why?"
"I'm just curious. I like meeting new people. Maybe we'll meet again someday."
"Oh, ah...I-I-I r-really do not think we will meet again, Miss Avatar, ah—goodbye!" He turned around and headed off rather quickly...
"Hey!" Now there was authority in her voice. The man froze. "Is your name...Mishkin by any chance?" He hesitated again...and bolted off without saying a word. Usagi sneered. "Yeah, that's not suspicious at all." Raising her hand, Usagi called forth earth, fire, air, and water, fusing them together into a spiraling pillar that shot half a mile into the cloudy air. The other girls saw her signal and came running; the nearby produce vendor merely shrieked.
"Gaah! Hey! Watch the radishes there, missy!"
"Oh, sorry," she winced. She took two steps, paused, slipped Luna a treat ("Sorry about earlier!" she added warmly), and ran off in pursuit of her fugitive.
…...
The rain had grown from a polite drizzle into a full-on downpour as Mishkin barreled his way out of the marketplace. He headed for the city outskirts, not daring to look back, desperation and fear whipping at his heels like an unrelenting taskmaster. He feared the Avatar—the wildest stories told of how she was growing an army of zealous cultists to purge the world of evil, or how she had commanded Thunderhorns in a raid of Beryl's palace—but he feared the ceaseless nightmares and incorporeal terrors that had been on the edge of his vision even more. No, Avatars and judgment he could face, but this? He couldn't even name it, much less give it description or put any logic behind it. It was a vague shadowy presence whose icy fingers stretched over the entire world to ensnare him, and any safe havens he may stumble across were temporary at best—and illusions at worst.
Mishkin glimpsed backwards to see if he was being followed, and shrieked as he saw...he saw... He didn't want to think about what he saw, or what "might" be behind him, he just wanted to keep running. The only way to stay safe was to stay mobile, and he was an Air Nomad, wasn't he? Mobility was his life's blood. He saw the short fence that bordered the eastern section of the city, with its guards and citizens milling around, and called on the wind to aid him over it. He landed in a wet patch of grass, slipping a little, and continued running, heedless of the guards calling out for him. The world was completely open before him, and though he was middle-aged, he was in excellent physical condition; he could keep running for a good long while.
Anything to escape...that.
A thick forest of oaks bordered the outskirts of the city, much of it set aside for public use. He'd be out of the rain and away from most any pursuer in there, so he changed directions and made a dash for it. He knew the Avatar might still use water or earth to stop him, but she wouldn't dare risk a fire, and the air was his domain. He got about twenty or so paces in before his feet suddenly snagged on a tree root that tore out of the ground, wrapped around him, and pinned him to the forest floor. Struggling and screaming, he looked up to see a tall muscular brunette woman, dressed in the greenish-brown style of Omashu. She approached him and crossed her arms in disgust.
"It's over now. You sure gave us a merry chase."
"Who are you?" he shrieked. "How did you get this tree to do that?" The woman snorted.
"You must be new in town. I'm the Duchess of Kolau, the Queen of the Southern Earth Kingdom, a master wood-bender and a close personal friend of Avatar Usagi. Whether or not I'm also merciful is up to you." Mishkin grimaced and cursed his foul luck. Of all the people who could've caught him! He had heard rumors of a "wood-bender" living in Omashu or Kolau but always dismissed them as tall tales. So much for that.
"Your highness, please, you have to let me go! I beg of you!" The girl, Makoto herself, glared at him.
"Look, Mishkin—and I'm guessing that's your name, isn't it?—I may be young and naive, but I'm not stupid. I know how you betrayed the Eastern Air Temple to those pirates. My husband, the King, had to intervene, and he's been very interested in finding you. You're lucky your crimes don't extend to Omashu, because I'm nearly tempted to punish you myself! Instead, I'm just here to extradite you."
"But you do not understand," he groaned, straining as the roots squeezed a little tighter. "I am being pursued by a creature who wishes to kill me!"
"Yeah? Well it can get in line. Up." At her word, the roots loosened around his feet and lifted him until he stood. He was still encompassed by them around the arms and waist, and Makoto warned him that at a word, they'd squeeze the life out of him.
"Listen to me, it is a matter of life and death," he squealed, weeping from terror. "If you are so intent on capturing me, then you must keep me alive. Promise to deliver me to the High Tribunal of Nomads safely and I will cooperate."
"I don't owe you anything," she spat, glaring angrily in his face. "Luckily for you, though, that's exactly what I had in mind. We'll wait here for my friends." She touched a nearby oak, which swayed and stretched until it stood out in the forest, signaling the other girls. Bits of rain fell through, and Mishkin grew nervous.
"No, no, we cannot wait here, we must go now. Must go now!"
"What's the hurry? It's too late to use the bathroom."
"You do not understand, it is following me, it is coming closer!" He wheeled around, searching for whatever was pursuing him, squealing softly in fright—and then stiffened as a black mass appeared in the distance, veiled by trees and rainfall. Makoto saw it, too, but didn't think much of it.
"So what, it's probably a moose-bear or squirrel-wolf." As she crossed her arms and stared at the shadow, it flickered in and out of vision, drawing closer at speeds much faster than any living creature could match. Makoto went from skeptic to slack-jawed bystander, and hardly took notice as Mishkin drew in a deep breath and expelled a gust of air around him, breaking his bonds. He scrambled away before she could send so much as a twig after him. Makoto pursued him but spared one glance backwards to see if they were being followed. She stood petrified in place as the shadowy figure was now twelve feet away from her, radiating an aura of silence and dread. Makoto swallowed.
"So, ah...I guess you're the thing that's following him. What exactly are you?"
"The Living Death," whispered the entity. In the darkness of the forest and the dimming day, it was difficult to tell if this was human, spirit, animal...or something else. "The Walking Silence," it continued, "the Bringer of Darkness." Makoto grit her teeth and moved into an offensive stance.
"Yeah? Well you're in my world now!" She commanded two trees to coil their branches and roots around the figure and held it briefly, but the being wrapped inky claws around the branches, spreading a festering rash that disintegrated the wood almost instantly. The roots coiled around it also corroded away, and the creature was freed. Makoto's bravado evaporated. She tried again, reaching out to a nearby log and hurling it, but the creature vaulted over it, touching the log with a black hand before landing gracefully on the forest ground. The log fell away from it, cleaved into two rotting halves.
"Okay," Makoto shuddered, "that's new." Throwing caution to the wind, she charged in for hand-to-hand combat, spinning and leaping as she launched a flurry of blows. The being evaded her attacks, not even bothering to block or counter. Makoto moved in with a whirling tornado kick but the creature flickered past her. Lightning flashed in the sky above, revealing what appeared to be a pale human face for an instant.
"I'm not after you." It stomped hard on the ground, like an earth-bender might, then ran off. Stricken, Makoto gathered her nerve and went after the entity, but suddenly fell as the ground beneath her caved in. She just managed to grab hold of the edge with her arms, noticing that wherever the entity had stepped, the forest floor was eroding. Too awe-stricken to think clearly, Makoto could only hang there in a stupor until a tree root extended. She grabbed onto it and was moved to solid ground.
Ami, Minako, Rei, and Usagi caught up with her on Artemis, and she filled them in on everything that had happened. The pouring rain had now become a full-fledged storm, complete with high winds and lightning. Minako could still take Artemis through it, but she'd have to fly low to avoid the lightning, and the going would be slow. Their priority was finding and recapturing Mishkin; whatever Makoto had encountered would have to wait.
"I'll bet you anything it's the same thing that sneaked into the palace in Ba Sing Se," Rei said. Makoto nodded.
"I'm sure of it. Hey, crazy thought, but...after what Mamoru told us about those guards and that General who was killed, I'm thinking this shadow might be on our side."
"Why, because it's going after Mishkin and not us?"
"Could be." Usagi shook her head.
"Makoto, that's horrible!"
"I know, but like I said, it's just a thought." Artemis pushed through the storm as fast as he could go, sometimes only ten or twelve feet above the undulating canopy. They were moving out of the forest now and into the grand mountain range the area was famous for. Ami tried bending as much of the rain out of their faces as she could, but it was a hopeless endeavor. She could at least keep Minako's vision clear, so she sat next to the air-bender and helped her navigate, offering fleeting smiles. Rei spotted Mishkin's yellow robe flash in a peal of lightning and Artemis slammed down in front of him, knocking him on his rear end. This time Usagi wrapped chains of stone around his hands and feet. Minako glared at him.
"Is this the guy?"
"Yeah," Makoto growled. "Disgraceful, isn't he?" Mishkin fought against his binds to no avail, so he begged and pleaded to be spared. Minako, her eyes burning with fury, walked over and slapped him hard across the face.
"Shut up! You could at least pretend you're a man for two minutes. We're taking you back to Boris now." She nodded to Usagi, who bent the earth again and lifted Mishkin onto Artemis's back, hands and feet still bound.
"It will do you no good," he groaned. "That thing will pursue me to the ends of the world!"
"I doubt it can fly," Minako countered as she hefted herself on the saddle. Everyone else mounted as well; Mishkin waddled next to her, a fear beyond mortal understanding in his eyes.
"Listen, the creature that is pursuing me knows no boundaries! It respects no rule of law other than death itself, and cannot be stopped by any means we mortals possess. It will chase me and it will kill me, end of discussion!"
"Is that a fact?" Minako said, having to shout over the torrential wind and thunder. She raised Artemis up, but the creature froze as the skies pealed with bombastic light and heat. As the light faded, the group saw a mass of utter darkness looking up at them from the surface. Minako reeled back; Rei tensed; Ami stared intently. The entity gestured, and the very air around Artemis was stolen away; the bison brayed and flayed as it roiled, scattering its passengers everywhere before fleeing in abject terror. The girls hopped to their feet undamaged, and now stood between Mishkin and the Darkness.
"You see!" he cried. "You see! I warned you! Nothing can stop it or slow it down! I am doomed!"
"I told you to shut up!" Minako snarled. She glared defiantly at the shadow, surrounded by her friends. "We're not beaten yet. Usagi, take Mishkin and the others and get out of here! Find Motoki or Reika's units and meet up with them. I'll hold off...whatever this thing is!"
"But Mina, that's—" Makoto was already lifting Mishkin into her arms, and ran off carrying him.
"Don't argue with her, just go!" Usagi hesitated until Rei pulled her along; Ami stayed behind, standing next to Minako.
"I'd like to fight alongside you, if you don't mind." Minako glanced at her, finding only the same dauntless bravery that was overflowing in her own stout heart.
"Are you sure?" Ami nodded.
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." The two smiled at each other fondly, recalling a similar statement they had shared not so long ago, and all the while the Living Darkness stood motionless.
"You're protecting the wrong person," it intoned in a wispy voice. "Let me pass, please."
"Yeah, I'm feeling a little conflicted about all that," Minako announced as she took an aggressive stance. "Guarding a traitor's not exactly something I want to do right now—but he's going to face air-bender justice one way or another."
"Not if he faces mine first." The entity weaved through the blast of air Minako shot, flipping backwards as Ami drew upon thousands of water-needles and flung them. A long pole with a curved metal blade whirled with blinding speed, deflecting the piercing rain as the entity danced around torrential winds. Ami changed tactics and fused the storm into a single jet, firing an inexhaustible surge of water, ripping the ground apart as it chased after the Darkness. The shadow tumbled to avoid the blast, sliding past a high outcropping of rock, caressing it with inky fingers. The stone's support gave way and it tumbled, spilling countless boulders in a massive landslide. Minako tried blowing them away but the avalanche was insurmountable, and they were pinned under a thick blanket of mud—alive, but immobilized. The Darkness stood on the opposite side, ominously silent as it surveyed its victory, then resumed the hunt.
…...
Wind and rain pelted Mishkin and the girls as they retreated further through the mountains. The former monk was given free use of his feet to spare Makoto from having to carry him everywhere, but was warned against any further escape attempts. The Air Nomad Tribunal needed him alive, but "might not mind" if he had a few broken bones or burns. Mishkin complied and made sure to keep himself between two of the girls at all times, more for his own protection than their satisfaction. They found a narrow mountain path and started to climb it; occasionally Usagi would bend several rocks around and block the passage behind them, or dig holes in the ground, or erase the path completely. She did this with the full knowledge that two of her friends would have to travel this same path if they wanted to catch up—but slowing their pursuer down was more important.
The path led them to a large chasm spanned only by a narrow, rickety wooden bridge. It was too far to jump, even for an air-bender, and there was no other way around or across. Makoto volunteered to cross first, and tied Mishkin to her back, urging him to hang on tight. The wood creaked and groaned and buckled under their combined weight, but after a few harrowing minutes, they made it across, two blurry shapes in the dark, stormy distance.
"Okay, they're good," Rei sighed. "Now you go, Usagi."
"You should go ahead of me," she insisted, taking Rei's hand. "I am the Avatar, after all. I'll stay behind and make sure everyone's safe." Rei hesitated, but she knew that it was the most sensible course of action. There was no time for an affectionate good-bye, so she told Usagi to be careful and took the first steps. A rope handrail was all that stood between Rei and a fatal drop into the abyss, and while she had never been particularly afraid of heights, the journey was nerve-wracking. Every step caused the bridge to rock, and the stinging rain and merciless wind didn't help. Oftentimes she had to wince and force her feet to move forward, one perilous step at a time. She was only a few feet past the halfway point when she heard something that made her blood turn cold:
Usagi was screaming.
Standing before her was the Something, a shape darker than any night, deadlier than any storm, more silent than emptiness.
"Usagi!" In spite of her ordeal, Rei turned back and ran toward Usagi. The Avatar wasn't having any of it, though.
"Rei, run, now! Get to the other side and get out of here!"
"But Usag—" She didn't even finish her rebuttal before a powerful gust of wind forced her across the bridge where Makoto was waiting for her. Now Usagi and the creature were alone.
"Ah, Avatar," it spoke, its voice like cold emptiness, "I was hoping to meet you eventually. I'd like to ask your assistance in something."
"Not a chance!" she shouted. "I'll never help you kill that man! I don't care what he's done, he deserves a fair trial!" The Walking Silence looked taken aback, as if only now just realizing it was pursuing someone.
"Hmm? No, I don't mean the monk—I want you to help me with a much greater enterprise." The Avatar looked confused.
"Wait, so you're not after Mishkin?"
"I am, but that's not my priority—or rather, not my purpose. I'm merely pursuing him now because the time has not yet come for my ultimate endeavor—but it will, soon, and I will need your help." In spite of everything she had witnessed in Ba Sing Se, and all the red flags waving in her mind, Usagi couldn't help but feel curious.
"What do you mean? What endeavor? Who are you?"
"I'm the Death-Bender, the one and only. It is my mission to deliver death to those who would escape it by their cunning and trickery. I am the doom of all those who would defy me, Silence Everlasting, destruction and rot and decay..."
"Stop it! You're completely insane!" The Death-Bender stood unwavering, a pale face and glimmering violet eyes illuminated by thunder and lightning. It very nearly looked human.
"Say what you will, but that is my purpose. I do not feel joy or sorrow in what I do. I do not kill out of hatred, envy, or spite, but by necessity. I kill because I must. I kill because nobody else will. And there will come a time when I must slay the very Light itself."
"You're crazy," Usagi murmured, taking a trembling step backwards. "You're completely out of your mind!"
"Nevertheless, I need your help. I alone cannot vanquish the Light. I must have the Avatar with me. Otherwise, it will not be done, and the Light will overwhelm."
"Good!" she shouted. "Let it!"
"You don't know what you're saying," it intoned calmly. Usagi backed away, edging closer to the bridge. She set one foot on it, grabbing the rope handrail.
"I know enough! I know you killed all those people in Ba Sing Se, and now you're going after Sifu Mishkin, and...and...goodness only knows who else!"
"Do you know what those men did? Or what Mishkin did?" The Death-Bender stepped closer. Usagi, the Avatar, was being pushed back.
"Of course I did! That doesn't mean they shouldn't get a fair trial!"
"And who would judge them, Avatar? You? A biased magistrate? A bribed judge? A system that would sweep their crimes under a rug and strike bargains?" Now Usagi was fully on the bridge, and the Death-Bender was following her. "Their victims cry out to me, Avatar. I can hear them even in the deepest reaches of immutable silence. The world itself will soon wail in misery. The Light will consume everything if we do not stop it. Help me, Avatar." Terrified, Usagi could only reach out to the mountain and flung sharp shale at the creature. It swerved out of the way but a sliver of stone had scratched its porcelain features. The Death-Bender touched a black finger to the wound, turning the tip crimson, and studied it with a sigh.
"Some other time, then." It lunged after Usagi, glaring with a righteous fury. Usagi instinctively threw up a torrent of air but the creature burrowed straight through it. It halted for an infinitesimal moment, so close that Usagi could see herself reflected in the Death-Bender's eyes; she flinched as the entity leaped over her and onto the bridge. Steeling her resolve, Usagi reached out to the rain and the mountain, drawing walls of stone and water to bar the creature's progress. The Death-Bender swiped with its glaive, shearing the wall; Usagi drew it towards her, pushing the Death-Bender away from the bridge and into her grasp. She called on the mountain again and again, ripping stones and hurling them fiercely; the Death-Bender swerved around some, blocking a few, but was repulsed away from the bridge as Usagi called forth fire. She stomped on the ground, shifting the land beneath her foe's feet, knocking it off balance. The creature tried leaping out of the way but Usagi clutched it with windy claws and brought it crashing back to the ground. The Death-Bender quickly rose to its feet and surged inky arms out, shoving Usagi onto the ground with solid blackness.
"I don't want to kill you," it warned her, "but I will hurt you. Stand down." Usagi couldn't pry her shadowy binds away but there was more than enough mountain to tear away from. She smacked it with the back of her head, her elbows, her feet, anything that could still move, shattering herself loose. A gesture to a nearby puddle swept the Death-Bender off balance, and several more jets followed, keeping her away from the bridge. The shadowy entity evaporated every salvo with a touch of its hand but the sheer quantity of water overwhelmed even its defenses. Usagi put up a huge wall of flame between them, summoning more stones to further encase her foe. The Death-Bender merely walked through the fire, disintegrating the stone walls as it glared. It thrust its arm into the ground, calling forth enormous black tendrils that wrapped around Usagi and bound her in chilling, silent, eternal emptiness. The Death-Bender gestured and the black mass moved out of its way.
Twin streaks of fire shot around the Death-Bender like a noose; it whirled around and swatted another fireball away just in time. The Avatar stood before her, hair billowing in the wind, eyes glowing radiant white. The Death-Bender hesitated. The heavens pealed and were torn asunder by terrible lightning; the Avatar raised her arm and called the bolt of energy to her, surrounding herself with its electric undulations. She wound back and threw the lightning bolt at her foe, whose eyes opened in a rare expression of surprise. The Death-Bender held its glaive aloft and braced itself to absorb the blast; two alabaster arms thrust out and caught the bolt, the force of the impact sending the shadow skidding backwards. Its black foot found itself scraping against the mountain's edge just as the Avatar's attack expired; she commanded the entire mountain to shift and encompass the entity, leaving only a small hole. Before the Death-Bender could free itself from its prison, the Avatar's entire body burned with white-hot energy, and she summoned a column of searing fire to burrow into the hole and immolate her foe. The stone cage melted from the intense heat, the ground below scorched bare. The Death-Bender stood, shielding its body with crossed arms, straining against the overpowering force of the Avatar.
Suddenly the whole world seemed to shudder in terror as a piercing scream rocked its foundations. Immense black arms emanated from the Death-Bender, breaking the slagged cage and shoving the Avatar backwards. The Death-Bender stood heaving and gasping, scarred and burnt, smoke issuing from its body. It touched its face, wincing in pain, before whipping its glaive out and slicing at the ground. The earth rent and a horrible black mist spewed out, covering the creature's escape as it stumbled to the bridge. The Avatar soon recovered, piercing the mist though it pained her greatly, swinging with a flaming whip just as the Death-Bender's feet touched the bridge.
The heavens trembled as the two fought on that narrow, unstable surface. The winds howled and the rain shredded without mercy. Again and again the flames of the Avatar's righteous fury struck the entity's deadly weapon; again and again it swung, stabbing, whirling, more to keep the Avatar at bay than to harm her. At times the Avatar gained the advantage and stood between her foe and her fleeing friends; other times the Death-Bender pressed the Avatar back, gaining ground. The bridge trembled beneath them, buckling and bobbing as they leaped on and off, sometimes being thrust into the perilous rail that held them from their doom. There was no telling how long they exchanged blows on that bridge; they both moved too fast to be seen, a blinding white light set against the darkness. Finally the Death-Bender swung its glaive at one of the ropes, upending the bridge. It leaped onto the side still supported by the remaining rope while the Avatar, Usagi, fell.
She lashed her arms out and caught the upright end, knocking the wind out of her, and held on for dear life. For a long time, both warriors froze, staring at each other, gasping for breath. Usagi could do nothing but hang on while the Death-Bender stood on the edge, triumphant. Its breath came out in ghostly puffs against the rainy night sky as it calmed down from the fight.
"Until we meet again, Avatar." The Death-Bender turned around and started walking along the edge, away from its opponent. Usagi clenched her teeth, seeing one last chance to snatch victory out of the creature's jaws. Putting all of her strength in her left arm, she carefully reached down with her right, plucking the tiara from her forehead.
"Hey!" she shouted, getting the entity's attention. Their eyes locked. "We're not finished yet!" She ignited the tiara and flung the flaming projectile with all her strength—not at the shadowy figure, but at the only other rope holding the bridge together. It severed clean through, and all of time seemed to slow to a trudging crawl as the bridge collapsed and the Death-Bender lost its balance and fell. Pure mortified horror covered its face in that instant; Usagi threw herself from the bridge and grabbed hold of the creature. She called on the wind to soften their blow, but time sped up again, and she struck something hard. Dazed, Usagi held tight to the creature, calling on the earth to aid her as the two plunged into the abyss together.
The End of "The Death-Bender"
Next time: "Interview with a Phoenix"