Fred could not find the words alongside Ben. It all seemed so strange, this boy she'd only begun to know, who was somehow the Elementalist, and now apparently son to a king and queen? It was a jumbled mess, but one that needed to be sorted out later.
Gently taking Ben's hand, she held it tenderly until he finally looked down at her.
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about or what's going on... But we need to find the core. Wade's still down there, and we might not have a lot of time."
Ben's eyes were lost in a daze. He could only barely hear her words, as though muffled through some long tunnel. Gaining his composure, he nodded.
"Let's go then."
Exiting the courtroom, Fred and Ben ran right, in the direction of another large set of doors—these already having been swung open. Gusts of wind could be heard whistling in the great hall, seeming to grow stronger in intensity, replacing the calm winds from before with a foreboding atmosphere.
"Here!" Ben said as he burst through the open doorway.
The room held but one object–a large, round orb.
Neither Ben nor Fred knew for sure what Sky City's core looked like, but they knew this had to be it. It was what appeared to be a glass, hollow sphere, twenty feet in height and diameter, sitting perfectly still in the room as the only object. Round stairs circled from every direction and led up to it, resembling a cone with an orb atop. The glass was shiny and see-through, but there was nothing inside—only air. Directly in front, they could see a large crack in the otherwise pristine glass, an opening where Viktor Krane had first plunged a sword into so many years before.
And unbeknownst to Ben, that same sword resided firmly in his right hand.
"Well?" Fred asked. "What now?"
"I'm not sure... maybe I just—"
A sudden burst of air, stronger than the winds before, and unmistakably coming from inside the very room, caused Ben and Fred to jump to attention. Looking up to find the source, a figure jumped off the ledge above their heads. Loaded with armor, this metal figure glided effortlessly to land in front of the core. Giant feathered wings flapped from its back and returned, tucked back to their original position underneath the armor.
The guardian looked exactly as Kurt had described, yet at the same time, even more disturbing. Everything about it resembled a man: its armored legs, arms, and chest, but its head was indeed that of a large falcon. Sharp, predatory eyes stared at Ben and Fred as the Guardian shook the feathers of its wings and approached them with a large gait. As he approached, they could see he was quite tall, perhaps seven foot even, making him tower of the teenagers.
Fred noticed quickly it had no sword at the hip, or any weapon that could be seen. Instead, where human hands might be, were long, sharp talons that Fred knew would work just fine as deadly weapons.
"Well," the guardian declared in the same unearthly dark tone that Kurt had described before, its beak in sync with the words. "Look at this... I never thought the day would come."
"That's close enough," Fred threatened, holding her daggers up skillfully, her feet planted in a fighting position.
Stopping in place, the guardian's eyes, filled with the darkest black Ben or Fred had ever seen, circled the two of them, studying them.
"Isn't this something?" it said with a tinge of interest in its voice... but only a tinge. "I'm kind of curious as to how you got up here. I've spent so many years watching, and thinking of ways that it might be done, and I could never find one. Truth be told, I was getting a little bored."
"What are you?" Ben asked curiously, his sword still raised, ready for the guardian to close the gap between them.
"Me? That's... well that's a long story, and one I don't really want to get into. What I want to know is... who you are."
Ben could feel his hands clamming up and sweat falling down the back of his neck. He kept Fred in the corner of his vision, but directed the center of his gaze at the falcon.
"I'm the Elementalist!" he almost shouted, hoping it might scare the beast. Instead, the large creature simply looked confused.
"The Elementalist?" the guardian dipped its head, shaking it. "No, no, no... that's not possible. I know Lord Krane is still alive. He made me, in his own way. I can sense him. When he feels pain, so do I. When his power grows, so does mine. We are connected. His death would... well I don't believe I'd be standing here if that were the case."
"Yeah?" Fred said. "You can sense him, but can he sense you? Because if he can, then he's in for a world of hurt."
It's hard to tell behind a beak, but Ben swore he could see a smile form at the comment, along with the narrowing of its devilish eyes.
"And I thought today would be my usual long and boring routine. You both seem to have quite the confidence, for some Magma Kingdom girl and... imposter."
"So, I'm guessing you're not going to let us do this the easy way are you?" Ben asked, his eyes shooting to the core directly behind the guardian.
"I'm afraid not. You two seem fun, but a job is a job, and I'm not letting you anywhere near it."
Digging its armored boots into the marble floor, the guardian launched itself at them. Fred was fast in return, slashing her dagger at him in a spinning motion. He was slow enough to receive it, but as he ran, his wings shot out, knocking the blade from Fred's hand and throwing her across the room. The power of it catapults her viciously across the smooth, marble floor. Sliding, she plunged her other dagger at the floor to stop herself, screeching across it in an ear-splitting sound that left a trail across the floor but managed to do the trick.
Ben stood firm as the guardian flew past Fred and darted directly at him. The talons of his hands were outstretched, and its wings fully out in a long wingspan that spread far in both directions.
Swinging as hard as he could, Ben smashed his blade against the breastplate of the guardian and kicked himself off the ground. Dazed from the hit, the guardian flew under Ben's floating legs and crashed into the ground, sliding as Fred had done. A loud screech followed as its talons grip the marble and he rose to his feet.
"So... you are an Elementalist," the guardian said firmly, its beak bent in a snarl. "How strange... This should be interesting."
Looking down at Fred, then over at the core, Ben took his eyes off the guardian for only a moment. Seeing its window, the creature launched at him. They collided in mid-air and dropped to the floor.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
"We can't go on like this much longer!" Wade yelled as he and the rebels retreated into the labyrinth of shacks again.
Their numbers had begun to dwindle, as some rebels fell to Imperial soldiers, and others got lost in the chaotic streets. Their tactic of separating the soldiers was working, but it was dividing the rebels as well. Justin was one of the many who'd disappeared.
Hidden in a desolate shack, there were roughly ten rebels there with Wade and the leader, Kurt. They breathed heavily, the adrenaline of battle keeping them on their feet, and in the distance, the unmistakable sound of armored boots marched.
"We can fight!" a rebel declared.
"No," Kurt said, looking at Wade. "The boy is right. We need to think of something... and fast. It won't be long until they regroup on us. And then—"
A crash vibrated on the ground as a building in the distance collapsed. Running to the window, Wade peered out to see soldiers with torches. Tired of the mouse hunt, they'd resorted to burning and destroying the buildings the rebels hid in, already so frail to begin with.
"Oh no..." Wade muttered.
Kurt was at his side, gripping the wood of the windowsill as he looked out as well. Blood dripped from his forehead, and Wade noticed a cut or two on his own arms. Fatigue was starting to set in a big way, and would only get worse the longer they stayed.
"They're going to burn us!" a rebel began to panic as smoke drifted down the street and seeped through the cracks of the shack they'd hidden themselves away in.
"Like ants!" another screamed, his voice quivering.
"Put yourselves together!" Kurt commanded, turning sharply away from the window.
These men and women might have been rebels, but most were not soldiers. Experience had been their ally, but without proper military training they were no more than civilians fighting for what they thought was right. An extended battle like this was turning vastly against them and in that, it was easy to feel scared.
"We should surrender," someone suggested. "Maybe they'll be forgiving..."
"Hey!" Wade said firmly, to everyone's surprise.
His blue eyes darted between them, fierce and strong, and Kurt, also surprised, let the boy speak.
"You're scared, okay? I get it. You think I'm not? You think I wouldn't rather be anywhere other than here? Look at me! I'm no warrior; I'm no soldier. I can barely even lift this thing.
He held his sword up.
"I'd love to run. But it doesn't matter, because we can't! There's nowhere to go where Imperial soldiers won't follow. And there are people, thousands of people, who are relying on us. You can be sacred all you want, guys. Just like me. But don't let it stop you from doing what needs to be done."
Kurt was shocked at the impact his words had on the rebels. The color returned to their faces as they looked around at each other, confidence that was thought lost returning. The kid seemed a natural leader.
"All right, kid," Kurt said. "We're behind you. But what should we do?"
"I..." Wade hesitated, looking out the window at the incoming Imperial soldiers and the torches they held. "I say we go for it."
"Go for it?" a rebel woman asked.
After giving his speech, which he was quite proud of himself for, Wade realized he was wrong about one thing before. He thought they should run and recover, as that's what he and Ben would normally have done in a situation like this. In fact, they'd done it many times, as troublesome kids on the streets of Capital City. Battle tactics of his childhood seemed so familiar here in a n actual war. He knew that the smart thing was typically to retreat, gain composure, and then strike again. But something had changed his mind.
"Yeah," Wade declared, gripping his sword more tightly. "We go for it. No more running. No more regrouping. We rush them now with all we've got."
Kurt shook his head.
"We'll lose."
"No, we won't. Because my friends are up there now," he pointed to the ceiling, up to Sky City. "Ben and Fred are up there, and I know they'll have that core relit at any moment. Then it'll be those Imperial soldiers in trouble, not us."
There were quiet murmurs in return among the men and women. What Wade was asking for was a complete gamble. It was an all-or-nothing bet, and their lives were the stakes. But the way he carried himself suddenly was what convinced them. His goofish ways seemed lost, replaced by a royal presence that was commanding and earned the respect of its listeners.
Kurt sighed deeply, seeing the look on everyone's face. He knew they were ready for this commitment.
"Alright, kid. Let's do it then. All or nothing."
Wade turned to the shack's door, gripping the handle hard, sweat pouring from his fingertips. He could feel the focused determination behind him as the others waited for his mark to rush out.
Wade thought of Fred in the moment and smiled.
"Time to go out with a bang."
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Falling to his knees, Ben reached for his sword. The guardian approached, but Fred had Ben's back. Running, she took one step on Ben's back as he leaned to grab his sword, and used his body to launch herself in the air. The guardian was mid-flight as Fred barreled into him, rolling over his head to wrap her arms around his feathered neck from the back. With a strong thrust she buried a dagger into its back, between the gap in armor that allowed for its wings to expand.
A loud screech echoed sharply as the guardian felt the pain of Fred's arms around its neck, and the dagger embedded under its right wing. Flapping, that wing struggled to keep up with the other.
Fred's ponytail had come loose in the fight, and her long red hair covered her eyes, but she blindly squeezed around the guardian's neck harder, until he finally plummeted to the ground. A metallic thud vibrated as he and his armor smashed into the ground and Fred was thrown off to slide across the floor.
Ben, meanwhile, had found his footing.
Another high-pitched shriek bellowed from the guardian as it struggled to stand. The screech was so loud and shattering that Fred and Ben held their ears as it did and ran to each other. Again, the guardian began to rise, and again, it was between them and the core.
"This thing just won't stop," Fred panted, twirling her dagger in her hand, the other still lodged in the guardian's wing.
"This is taking too long," Ben said. "We need that core lit. Wade and the others need it."
The guardian was fully erect once more. Although its wing was injured, enough to the point where it can no longer sustain flight well, it still maintained a strong, powerful presence. Venomously, its eyes darted back and forth between the two, trying to decide which order it should take them on.
Grabbing Ben's shoulder with her free hand, Fred leaned in to whisper. "I want you to go for it."
"What?"
"I'll distract him... You relight the core."
"You're kidding." Ben replied, his eyes watching the guardian who seemed to be attempting to reach behind and remove the lodged dagger.
"No, I can do this."
"Fred, you're tough, but we both can barely take him. And I have no idea how to relight the core."
"Well, then you better figure it out... quick."
Without warning, she sprinted at the guardian, taking Ben and the creature by surprise. With a running jump, she wrapped both of her legs around the creature's legs and pulled, taking it to its knees.
"Go!" she yelled as she wrestled with the sharp talons that scratched at her.
Fast on his feet, Ben pulled himself off the ground and flew over Fred and the beast, to land at the core. A large gash in the glass stared him in the face, and he ran his hand over it.
"How?" he muttered, looking back at Fred, who was flipping herself over the guardian and keeping him down as long as possible. "How do I do this?"
Putting his palm firmly against the glass, he expected to feel some kind of heat or energy, but didn't.
It was powerless.
But soon his other hand, the one that gripped his sword, began to burn. He hasn't felt the sensation of burning since becoming the Elementalist, and it surprised him in its pain. Looking down, he saw the blade glowing a bright yellow, with blue streaks flashing in and out, as if the sun itself were imprisoned, trying to burst free.
The guardian, with Fred atop it, spotted the light and screeched loudly, louder than before. Fred was put off by the light as well, seeing it grow brighter and brighter, to the point where she could no longer look in that direction without being completely blinded.
"That's impossible!" the guardian yelled upon seeing it. It wondered just how this boy had gotten that sword.
An overwhelming urge filled Ben. Every fiber of his skin screamed to him in a hidden language, yelling at him to do what his body wanted to do. A moment of clarity overcame him, and he surrendered to the feeling. Raising the sword above his head with both hands, he let his arms move forward and the blade flew at the crack in the glass.
"No!" the guardian yelled.
In one final effort, it managed to catapult Fred off, across the room, against the gold wall. Barreling on its talons as it thrusted its feet into a dash, the guardian dove at Ben. But it was too late.
In an instant of pure, perfect light, the sword penetrated the crack and energy poured from it in waves. The glass ball became like the sun, filling with bright yellow, and streaks of sky blue. Ben could barely hold on as the force of the energy leaving the blade felt like a hundred men tugging at the other end. The tip of the sword was like a cannon, blasting the light in a continuous stream, and Ben did his best to not let go.
A final flash radiated in a circle, knocking Ben off the platform. His back screamed in pain as he hit the ground, his sword clattering next to him–the energy it once had, now gone. Raising his eyes, Ben saw the core as it once was years ago: a globe of bright light and open, blue skies. The crack that had done so much damage, was gone without a trace, replaced by flawless glass.
The guarding, like the crack, had vanished too, a pile of armor left where he had dove, but never reached Ben.
"W-We..." Ben yelled, jumping to his feet. "We did it!"
Fred cheered as well, running at him and enveloping him in a hug. They lingered a moment, enjoying the closeness and the endurance held by both. Turning their heads, they gazed at the lit core in all its glory.
And for miles and miles in every direction, an awakening occurred. From the Sky Kingdom to the Magma, to the Ground, to the Aqua, and even all the way to Capital City, people experienced a long-awaited dream. Any and all citizens with sky blonde hair and Sky Kingdom roots felt their birthright course through their veins once again. Gravity fell away, and they became masters of the sky once again, living with it in a peace and harmony that nature respected and endured.
After a dreaded fourteen years, a wrong done by Viktor Krane had now, finally, been corrected.