As Ben, Wade, and Fred escaped, above ground a war stirred. Outnumbered, but not outwilled, the rebels had made their move. For fourteen years their numbers had grown. What started out as small, tactical skirmishes, from small resistances that had spread throughout the kingdom, had grown and united something Emperor Krane could never have predicted. These bands of rebels, a minor nuisance at best, known mostly for attacking Imperial soldier supply caravans on and off, had become a full-blown revolution. Years of division had fallen away to unity, and all it had taken was a rumor–a rumor that turned out to be true, of a boy who'd become the new Elementalist.
Running out the doors of the Imperial building above the dungeon, the trio melded into a swarm of soldiers and rebels. The dungeon, apparently towards the center of the town, was underneath the base for Imperial soldiers, and as such, was where most of them were. Perhaps two thousand in number, the soldiers had been swarmed from all sides by fearless rebels. Elbow to elbow, the streets had become a warzone.
Imperial soldiers tended to have the numerical advantage over large, open areas, and knowing this, the rebels had made sure to focus the fighting in the narrow alleyways and cluttered buildings of the town center. In this, the battle became chaotic, taking away the Imperial army's ability to organize and use proper tactics.
As they bled into the fighting, Fred took no time to spin her daggers, and joined the fight, clearing Imperial soldiers out of the way for the rest of the rebels to exit the building. Wade, without much skill, but overflowing with confidence, was right behind her, swinging his sword maniacally at any soldier that crossed his path.
"Where's the tower?" Ben asked Kurt.
Pointing right, he showed Ben, who was happy to see that it was not far away. Kurt left to join the rebels to fight for his town, and Ben followed.
"You'd better hurry!" Justin yelled at Ben as he stared up at the tower. "Having our powers would definitely make this a much easier fight."
Nodding, Ben looked across the throng of people to find his friends. Spotting them, he lifted himself from the ground and flew over the heads of everyone in the way. There was a pop as he kicked a soldier in the head and landed next to Fred and Wade.
"Time to go," Ben said.
Fred and Wade nodded at him, their backs pressed against each other.
"I don't think I can carry both of you up!" Ben yelled over the cries and clinks around him. "Only one."
"Fred should go," Wade said immediately.
She parried an attack, countered, and then looked back at him.
"You really should," Wade repeats. "Let's face it, I'm no fighter. And I doubt this guardian's weakness is my bitter sarcasm. Now, go!"
"You'll be okay?" Fred asked with worry.
"He'll be fine," Kurt said as he joined them, Justin at his back. "He's better than he thinks. And we could use the help."
"Alright." Fred turned to Ben.
Sheathing her daggers in her boots, she waited for him to wrap his hand around her waist.
"Ready?" he asked, doing just that.
"No," she replied, her fear of heights coming back to her. "But I guess I'll get over it really quick."
Holding tight, Ben pushed himself from the ground. Dirt flew as he was launched upwards, towards the top of the tower. After weeks of using these powers, even in a limited fashion, he'd become much more powerful with his takeoffs and confident in his landings.
Wade watched them go, worried deeply about his two friends. Soon a sword nearly beheads him, though, and he raised his own, worried about his own safety again.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Getting to the top of the tower was simple enough, and despite the weight of holding Fred, Ben did so with relative ease. He'd never flown this high before, but it was natural to him, nonetheless. The hard part came once they had landed.
The top of the tower was a narrow circle, with a spiraling gold design on the floor. Looking up, there were still what seemed like miles to go before they finally reached the hole in the middle that served as the entrance to Sky City. The wind screamed violently at them from this high, threatening to push them off the edge every second they wasted.
Ben took a deep breath, and Fred wrapped her arms tighter around him. She enjoyed the comfort of the floor they stood on while she could.
"That's a long way," Fred said nervously, her eyes drifting over the edge of the tower to the ground far below them, which was also a long way.
"You're not wrong... alright, here it goes."
This time, Fred closed her eyes tight the second they were off. Being scared of heights was one thing, but as high as they were going... it was far, far worse.
"Are we there yet?" she yelled through the rush of wind.
"Not yet."
"Soon?"
"Almost there," Ben yelled back, the gale force of the wind carrying his voice away.
The weightless climb went on for what seemed forever in Fred's mind. Her racing heart beat so fast that even Ben could feel it against his chest. She'd long forgotten how cold she was without the white, wool jacket—the fear of falling replacing all other senses—and she tried to envision a happy place to take her mind off the endless air between them, Sky City, and the ground.
Remembering the warm sand of the arena, and the glory she felt defeating bigger, stronger opponents, Fred's mind stayed in these memories until she jolted as her feet touched the ground. Opening her eyes, she looked into Ben's bright blue ones.
"And we're here," he chuckled nervously.
"Oh, thank god."
Her hands shook as she released the death-grip she'd had on him. Taking a few steps and breathing deeply, she calmed herself.
Meanwhile, Ben spun as he took in the surroundings. Past the ceremonial landing circle, they'd flown through was a vast labyrinth of tall, white buildings. Many were as tall as skyscrapers, and all were gorgeous. Despite years of being abandoned, they somehow looked brand new, with a shiny texture that glinted in the sunlight. The streets, which look much like the ancient road they had traveled on, were macabre, empty, and left a disturbed feeling in Ben's stomach. Despite the powerful, unrelenting wind that accompanied their flight, the top of the city was relatively lacking in this wind. There were slight breezes, but they were calm–soothing. The calmness with the isolation chilled Ben to see. It all seemed very unnatural in a way, like a jewel in the sky that should be cultivated and adored, but that had been bitterly left all alone. In the farther distance was a building even more elaborate than the rest, with far more gold and larger towers. It was the jewel of the jewel, the palace of Sky City.
"That has to be where the core is," Ben pointed at it.
Fred punched him lightly.
"You don't know where the core is?" her voice showed her frustration.
"Well... no. Then again, I kind of thought we'd have plenty of time when we got up here to look."
Both of their minds flashed quickly to Wade and everyone else down below, fighting for their lives in a battle that could only go so long in the rebellion's favor. Lost in the amazement of all there was to see, it was easy to let the mind wander.
"We better get to finding it then," Fred said, jogging quickly that way.
Removing her daggers from her boots, Fred kept them safely in her hands at her sides. Her heart, like Ben's, beat fast and quick. She felt her warrior instincts, so familiar, take control and increase her senses to everything around her. The slightest breeze itself was enough to jerk her head in that direction, and she'd respond with light, swift steps as she never lessened the pace toward the palace. She had promised herself back in the dungeon to not let anyone surprise her again, and planned to keep that promise.
Ben followed, keeping his eyes open and his senses as sharp as hers. Somewhere... this guardian awaited.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Far below, Wade had a long list of problems of his own, and none he was particularly thrilled about. The rebel army was large in their own right, but it was simply not strong enough to face the Imperial soldiers head-on as it had been–at least not for long. Upon their cellmate Kurt's command—as he appeared to be the leader of the rebels along with a few others—Wade and everyone else retreated and scattered into the buildings, daring the Imperial soldiers to split and follow. The rebels might not be effective head-on, but split up, hidden in the streets familiar to them, they could do quite some damage.
Despite it all, Wade couldn't help but to think of a bright side. Finally, after all the fights he'd been in, finally he had a weapon of his own.
"Now!" Kurt yelled as their band of rebels broke off down an alleyway and ambushed the soldiers that followed.
While many of the rebels were practiced fighters, and many not so much, it was apparent that Kurt was very skillful with his own weapon. He carried a battle ax with resolve, showing his years of battling and warfare. Not only that, but he managed to yell orders in an effective and authoritative way only a true leader could do.
Justin had split off into their group as well, and while Wade could tell he was nowhere near as experienced, he certainly could hold his own ground.
Of all this though, what surprised Wade most in the battle was how good he himself was doing. Fred had helped him and Ben on the road with sword skills and fighting techniques the best she could, and it was showing. He recognized that he was no master by any means, but he could still give many of these soldiers a decent fight in return.
"Not too bad kid," Kurt said as they pushed forward, blocking and parrying powerful blows from armored soldiers.
"Stick around and you might learn something," Wade replied cockily.
He dodged a soldier's thrust and used the handle of his sword to hit the attacker in the knees—another trick Fred had taught him. Out of the corner of his eye, Wade saw another sword descending on him. His heart almost burst from his chest as he tried to thrust his own sword up to block it, though he knew it'd be too late.
Sparks flew, as Kurt jumped to Wade's rescue, blocking the attack and shoving the Imperial soldier back, to trip over his fallen comrades. Justin was there quickly to guard his back.
With a smirk, Kurt reached down and pulled Wade up.
"Well... you're not that good." Raising his sword, he clinked the metal against Wade's. "But you're cocky, and I admire that confidence."
Wade wiped dirt from his face, a red streak running over as blood from a cut on his cheek spread, and he smiled in return. That's exactly something Fred would have said.
Falling back again upon Kurt's command, the rebel army scattered yet again among the maze of buildings. The Imperial soldiers were lost, not knowing the streets as well, and blindly ran after them, disorganized to the last.
Wade awaited again with the others, crouched in a shadowed alleyway, ready to ambush them once again.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The biggest regret in Ben's heart was that he simply didn't have time to enjoy the wonder around him. Struggling to stay behind Fred as she ran down the empty streets of Sky City, he could only glance at each building—all art in their own right—as he passed.
Reaching the steps of the palace, they marched up the broken marble, to the destroyed doors that led inside. The doors, lying on the ground, must have been forty feet tall, adding to the grandeur of the palace facade. The hall they entered was even more lavish inside than outside, even taller still, with a curved ceiling decorated in images of bright, blue skies, thunderous clouds, and people soaring through them as easily as a bird with wings.
The distance from the city center and the palace had been long and Fred eventually slowed to a brisk walk down the grand hall, catching her breath the best she could. Ben, who was not nearly as fit, still managed to stay at her side, despite the growing desire for his legs to quit on him. He was surprised to find himself, not Fred, arguing that they must keep going.
"We need to hurry," he declared, forgetting his own legs and thinking only of the others down below.
"We need to catch our breath," Fred replied. "Otherwise, we'll be exhausted and no good in a fight. Remember, there might be something waiting for us..."
Ben had forgotten for a moment the story of this guardian, with the giant body of a man and head of a falcon, and now his heart raced again, not just from the exercise, but out of anticipation. He sincerely hoped the story Kurt had told them in the dungeon to be exaggerated.
The palace echoed with their footsteps as they neared the end of the grand hall. Each step was resonating like the toll of a bell and each toll made both cringe, hoping nothing could hear them. Nerves were high, but nothing came, and they were thankful, but cautious still.
"So, the core..." Fred said. "I'm thinking they'd keep it somewhere big; you know? Not hidden away. It is the core after all."
"I'm thinking you're right."
"Try here first?" she pointed to the end of the hall, another large set of doors nearly forty feet in height.
It made sense to them both that whatever was at the end of this magnificent hall must have been something of importance, and what better than the city's core itself?
Standing straighter, Ben felt better from the small walk–his muscles ached, but could take on the weight of a brisk jog again.
"Let's do it."
With Ben taking the right door and Fred the left, they pushed with all their might. A rusty, scraping noise scratched loudly as the doors gave and slowly opened for the first time in fourteen years. Ben and Fred froze, waiting for something to hear the noise and come, but nothing did.
With slow footsteps, they entered the room. A large, round table sat in the middle, with eight chairs surrounding–and directly across the table from Ben and Fred, sat the two chairs that stood out the most. Made of gold, with white trim and velvet cushions, two thrones sat slightly higher than the rest at the table, obviously meant for the king and queen themselves. The ceiling above, like the great hall, was domed, with elaborate paintings of the soaring sky and blazing sun faded from years of unkempt to be seen.
"It's the courtroom..." Ben muttered with amazement. "The kings and queens of the Elemental Kingdoms would meet here whenever they visited."
Running around the table, he reached the thrones, placing his hand on the cool metal. It all felt so unreal. Looking back at the other chairs around the table, he noticed two with a blue pattern, images of waves, oceans, and diving sea creatures carved into the back.
"The Aqua king and queen would sit there." He pointed to the chairs. "The Magma king and queen there." He pointed again to another pair of chairs off to the right, instead carved in flames and images of exploding volcanoes.
"And the Ground king and queen are here?" Fred declared, placing her hands on the chairs directly opposite the Sky king and queen's, decorated in mountains, grass carvings, and an underground society.
Ben's eyes were wide with intrigue, but Fred's face showed little interest.
"What?" Ben asked. "Don't you think this is all unreal?"
"No."
"No?"
She sighed. "I just... I don't like the kings and queens."
"But things were better when they were around," Ben declared, all the stories his father and mother told him coming back.
Every night when he was young, he was told fantastic stories about the old kingdoms, and the rulers who led them. They'd fascinated him then, as they did now. And in those stories, life was magical, it was an adventure–it was nothing like the rat-infested alleyways of Capital City, a life Ben wanted so desperately to escape in his youth.
"Were they really better because of these kings and queens?" Fred asked, running her hand over the top of the Ground Kingdom chairs. "Or because we had our powers? Isn't a king and a queen the same as an emperor? What makes them different from Emperor Krane?"
Ben wasn't sure how to answer that question. He knew in his soul that there was a difference, a strong difference, but it was something that was not easy to explain. In a small way, Fred was right after all. Kings and queens could become dictators like Emperor Krane. But most didn't. There was something grand back then, some unwritten rule of honor that a king and queen would be good and just, and if one kingdom became tyrannical, the others would put a stop to it. It was in chambers like this, located in every Elemental City throughout the kingdoms, where the kings and queens of all would negotiate peace and maintain prosperity to the world. It might not have been perfect, but it was an honor that they dedicated their very lives to.
"C'mon," Fred said after giving Ben one last moment to enjoy it.
"Alright..."
Removing his hand slowly from the throne of the Sky king, Ben began to circle the table, to exit back into the grand hall. But one glance up, to the painting above the door, stopped him dead in his tracks. He'd glanced at it before, not scrutinizing it as much as he would have liked, but now something very unique caught his attention–it caught him wholeheartedly, locking him to the floor and his eyes to the paint with greater concentration than he had ever mustered before in his life.
Fred, who waited patiently, saw this look on his face, and filled with confusion and worry. It was not a look of amazement as before, but a look of horror, of earth-shattering consequence.
"What is it?" she asked.
Ben doesn't answer though, doesn't remove his eyes from the painting.
Walking to him, Fred turned her head upward to inspect what had him enthralled. On the ceiling, among the painted clouds and sun rays fluttering across, was a large portrait, peeled and grayed with age. The portrait showed the table they stood next to, but with the kings and queens seated around it, giving the viewer an exact idea of what things looked like before when royal courts had convened.
Looking over the faces carefully and the rest, Fred wasn't sure what stood out about it so much. Her gray eyes went from the ceiling, back to Ben's haunted face, to his enthralled blue eyes.
"What is it?" Fred asked again.
"It's..." he began to murmur, so softly that she could barely hear. "It's my parents."
Scrunching in confusion, Fred was skeptical immediately.
Ben wasn't.
He knew for certain that at the table, to the right where the Aqua Kingdom king and queen sat were Wade's parents of all things, and further left, sitting at the main two thrones—although much younger than they were now—were Ben's own parents at a young age. No amount of dust or rust could hide these unmistakable faces from him, nor could it hide Wade's parents as well. Whatever this was, it went beyond him, beyond Wade, and revealed something kept secret so long.
Gulping hard, Ben turned to look back at the throne. It had seemed so comfortable to the touch, almost like it belonged to him.
"Who am I?" hewondered aloud.