A long time ago, Avatar Kalkin disappeared without a trace, and with the absence of any successor, the world was gradually thrown into chaos. Governments became unbalanced, spiritual and natural disasters spread, and war sprang everywhere.

In the face of this unprecedented crisis, Fire Lord Kuni declared that he would assemble a party to search for this Avatar, but the Earth Kingdom feared this as a prelude to more aggressive actions, and moved to subdue this threat. Amidst the chaos, two young women managed to escape, and with their allies, embarked on a long journey that would hopefully lead them to the new Avatar, the only one who could restore order to the world…

AVATAR

The Celestial Sailors

BOOK ONE: CHAOS

19: Beryl's Reckoning

Kinsei's efforts to flush out Beryl's forces was working; there was virtually no opposition to face as Ami, Makoto, Minako, Rei, and Usagi ran in. Beryl's palace was large, though, and one of the tallest structures in Ba Sing Se; the girls had no idea where to start looking, and time was not on their side. Usagi wanted to just run around, cause havoc, free prisoners, hopefully find Mamoru, and give Beryl what for, but Rei and Ami were quick to reign her in. They knew they couldn't exhaust themselves with a thorough search, and they didn't want to split up, either. Asking directions was out of the question, as anyone they met either ran away from them in fright or ran towards them with a weapon. They decided to at least have a look around the first floor, and after fighting their way through a few hairy encounters, they found a strange device in a corner of the palace: a gated metal box attached to a chain that acted as a lift.

"Fascinating," Ami said as she admired the lift's construction. "It's a giant dumbwaiter that operates on a series of steam-powered gears. My guess would be that Beryl either employs people to power the pneumatic actuators or has a kind of mill that raises and lowers the—"

"Okay, that's great, Ami, but what does it do and how do you work it?!" Minako spat impatiently. Ami stepped in an examined the metal box. There were two levers near the door, one to open and shut the lift and the other to designate a floor.

"But which floor is Beryl on?" Rei wondered. "And where are her dungeons? I didn't see a basement anywhere."

"The dungeons are probably on the tallest floor," Ami suggested. "It would be exceedingly difficult for anyone to escape from those tall towers. I would surmise that half of Beryl's forces would be on the fourth floor to watch over the prisoners, while the other half would be on the first, so they can be deployed at a moment's notice. With her soldiers above and below her, I'd put Beryl on the second or third floors, where she'd be safest."

"Wow," Makoto sang, "that's some impressive thinking, Ami! And it all makes sense, too. So where do we go first?" While Ami blushed from the praise, Usagi made the call.

"The fifth floor. I want to try and free everyone before we confront Beryl. We're going to need all the strength we can find."

"Good idea," Minako nodded. They all got in and pulled the door lever, then the lever for the fifth floor. The lift gave a gentle lurch before creeping slowly up the long shaft. Minako couldn't stand the silence, so she took a deep breath and said, "Whatever happens, we can't be separated. Beryl's bound to have several reserve troops running around, and we won't stand a chance if we try to fight them by ourselves. Prisons mean nothing to the five of us, so if we can bust people out of Kunzite's, then this place should be a piece of cake. ...Gosh, I could go for some cake now."

"Cake and blackberry tarts, with fresh cream," Rei sighed.

"And before that, a hearty bowl of piping hot soup with vegetables, beef, and barley," Makoto added.

"With a nice seared fish, buttered and seasoned, and a steaming yam on the side," Ami said.

"Guys, stop, I haven't eaten in hours!" Usagi whined. The girls all looked at each other and laughed, perfectly easing the tension. Eventually, the latticed door swung open, and Makoto balled her fist.

"Okay, let's do this!" They raced down the long hallway, opening every door they could find: melting the locks with fire, bursting them open with pressurized water, or breaking them with heavy wooden furniture scattered around. There were still guards, but none of them posed much of a threat. Minako "borrowed" some keys from one she had knocked out, and while Beryl's prisoners were all glad to be freed, and many promised to go out and help Kinsei, something was deeply amiss. Usagi passed several empty rooms in her search for Mamoru, and eventually came to the end of the ward. There was no sign of him. She went back and double-checked, shining a torch in every room just to be certain. Mamoru was nowhere to be found.

It was half an hour before the girls met back up at the prison entrance. Their numbers had swelled to fifty people (some too weak or injured to help), but Usagi was dejected. When she asked if anyone else had seen Mamoru, the response vaporized her spirits. First her family had gone missing, and now...

Rei walked up to her and put her hands on the girl's shivering shoulders.

"Usagi...let's end this." Tears were in her eyes. She sniffled and looked away. The reality of her situation had come crashing around her, and it was too much to bear.

"I don't know if I can, Rei. I...I was so fired up to come here, but...now that we're really doing this, it's really real, we're actually in Queen Beryl's palace, in Ba Sing Se, and we're going to face her...I, I'm sorry for rambling, but I don't think I can do this! I'm not special, I can't do any bending, I'm not the Avatar, more often than not I'm just useless or in the way—I, I, I just feel so overwhelmed, and..."

"Usagi." Rei's voice broke her out of her anxiety. She was brimming with strength, and love, and respect. The priestess of the Hikawa Fire Temple spoke to the ordinary girl as an equal: "It doesn't matter if you're the Avatar or not. None of us made it this far because of that. We made it here because you are Usagi Tsukino, and you are a force to be reckoned with. Even if you're don't think you're special, you're still here, and you got here because you fought out of love. Not power, not ability, not by being special—love. I could name twenty Avatars who only wished they had that. I believe in you, Usagi. We all do." Rei looked over to her friends, who were all smiling as they affirmed it. Usagi wiped a tear from her face and sniffled again.

"Thanks, Rei," she whispered. Then, a stilted laugh. "I'm wasting a lot of time, aren't I?"

"It's okay. Frankly, I feel pretty powerless, too. But we're all here for each other, and that's what makes us strong. ...That and those shoulders! Jeez, girl, how much have you been working out? Has Makoto been training you? You gotta tell me your secret!" Usagi laughed, which caused everyone else to laugh, which cleared the air and brought new focus to their mission. Usagi wiped one more tear from her eye before joining her friends and steeling her resolve.

"Okay...so Beryl's either on the second or third floors, right? I say we check out the third."

"Any particular reason?" Makoto said. Usagi smiled at her.

"Not really. Three just sounds like the magic number to me."

"That's good enough for me!" Minako chirped, and with that, Usagi led them back to the lift and pulled the lever for the third floor. From that moment on, she was a changed person: strong, resolute, unyielding, irresistible.

…...

Stabilizing an entire nation during and after years of conflict meant that Beryl was no fool: she had anticipated trouble as soon as she got word of the air-bender's arrival—had anticipated it since news of the prison break reached her ears. The emissary was a shot-in-the-dark delaying tactic that served only to mobilize a much larger (and in her opinion, far superior) assault force. She didn't think Kinsei would back down, and honestly, she was hoping he wouldn't. The Western Air Temple would have been a good feather to add to her cap, or maybe even to Kunzite's, and if Kinsei willingly brought a fight to her door, well...there'd definitely be a change in management.

His shortsighted retaliation thus came as no surprise to her. It didn't even trouble her when a subsequent report announced heavy casualties on her side—and that there were other benders in the mix besides nomads. The lone water-bender wasn't any concern; she anticipated some unrest from their tribes after Zoicite's recent blundering. Reports of a "wood-bender" were unusual, but of little merit considering Beryl had thousands of the world's best earth-benders at her beck and call. She only batted an eye when told there was a fire-bender in the mix, but dismissed her concern. Jaedite was efficient, but even he couldn't possibly capture every single citizen of the Fire Nation. Hearing of a straggler or two foolishly throwing their lot in with the air-benders sounded reasonable the more Beryl meditated over it. Perhaps this slippery suspect had incited Kinsei into this madness, and was planning on a coup. All the more reason to stamp out dissent, then. Beryl couldn't help but chuckle a little at that last part: to think, a fire-bender was inadvertently helping her conquer and subdue other nations by inspiring their leaders to war, like boar-lambs to the slaughter!

Beryl ordered that reinforcements be drawn from the palace's main barracks, and was so confident in her victory that she took a break from her duties and went to lunch. She had musicians play while she ate, and even watched a few performers in their trickery and jests. She was finished with her meal and about ready to tuck into a few papers when she was interrupted by messengers. She could tell from their faces that things were not going well.

"Your majesty, forgive the intrusion, but there's been a new development in the Air Nomad attack!"

"An unpleasant one, from the looks of it," she remarked dryly. "What's the matter, aren't My forces sufficient for the job? I heard there were only seventy nomads at My door. Did they somehow duplicate themselves?"

"No, my liege, but they are receiving help—in...in the form of..." He stammered fearfully, being in the presence of a very powerful, very impatient woman. She urged him to spit it out, and he squeaked, "In the f-form of...your prisoners! Th-th-th-they've escaped!"

"Escaped?" she hissed, slowly rising as a cobra does before it strikes. "What do you mean...escaped?"

"They've been set loose, my queen," he quivered, tears forming in his eyes. "Almost all the guards that were working there are...incapacitated. All jail doors are opened; there were signs of fighting."

"What sort of fighting? Speak calmly." Her voice was level, but her eyes were venomous daggers. Still, he made an attempt.

"Scorch marks on the walls and melted locks. There were also bits of melted ice, large puddles, and b-bits of furniture smashed and scattered everywhere. The Captain of King Motoki's Tellurians is also missing." This last bit of news caught Beryl completely off guard. She was still processing everything but gave such a start that she lost her regal demeanor, and appeared genuinely stunned in front of her subjects.

"What Captain of Moto... Explain yourself!" The guard shook, bewildered. He had no idea that Beryl was unaware of Mamoru's incarceration. When pressed, he told her of General Nephrite's transfer, and fearfully admitted he believed she had known of this. Beryl's iron voice turned to ice.

"No, I was not aware of this development. And you say this is Nephrite's doing?"

"Yes, my queen. I can even procure the papers if you want."

"By all means," she muttered darkly; she wanted to see the kind of treachery Nephrite had performed. Nephrite, of all people! He had never been as zealously loyal as Kunzite or Jaedite, but neither had he struck her as incompetent or untrustworthy. Well, so much for that. She demanded that he be brought to her, along with the writ of transferal; two guards left but one remained. Beryl regarded him with icy softness.

"I commend you, messenger. I do not like bad news, but I would prefer it straightforward and in great detail, which you have done. If there is anything else you need to add, do not be afraid to do so."

"Yes, your majesty," he said, issuing an exhausted sigh. The weight of the entire world had been upon him during the entire conversation, yet the slightest hint of mercy from his queen relieved all of it. Thus was the power and influence Beryl wielded. He shyly looked up, into her eyes, and tremulously said, "But it is even worse news."

"Then deliver it," she ordered. He tensed but took the plunge.

"The nomads aren't just receiving help from your former prisoners, my queen: they are...being assisted by fire-benders."

"How many?" she hissed.

"The estimate is...ten." Beryl visibly relaxed.

"A trifling number. More stragglers Jaedite overlooked."

The messenger's voice plummeted into a whisper of dread: "Two of them were identified as Fire Lord Kuni and Fire Lady Iku."

Realization dawned slowly, but powerfully. Beryl's rage was smoldering.

"I was assured one was mentally incompetent and the other was to be EXECUTED."

"Three of my men saw them, along with myself. I...I would s-stake...m-my life on—" Before anything else could happen, four more messengers barged into the room, all of them wounded, one with arrows still lodged in his armor.

"Your highness, it's an emergency! The main gate of the city has been opened! Hundreds of fire-benders are pouring their way into the city as we speak!"

Finally, Berly erupted, unable to restrain herself any more: "WHAAAAT!"

"We counted at least twenty Fire Nation warships and fifty individual boats moored at our main dock! They sailed in from the east early this morning and stormed the gate just as it was opened!"

"WHO OPENED THE GATE?!"

"It was opened from the inside," the messenger squeaked, too afraid to do anything else. "F-F-F-Fire Lady Iku did it. The four of us saw her do it, and barely escaped with our lives. The, the city's being overrun—"

"IMBECILES! Ba Sing Se has NEVER BEEN PENETRATED BEFORE, and as long as I live, it shall repulse ALL WHO DARE CROSS HER WALLS UNHEEDED! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!"

"Yes your highness!" he squealed, immediately taking off to rejoin the battle, tailed by his fellow messengers. Before Beryl could take three steps and drain a glass of water placed for her on a table, another messenger, grim-faced and imposing, approached and bowed. Beryl downed her drink and glared at him.

"What is it?"

"My queen, I just received word from our messenger falcons: enclaves of Fire Nation citizens have been escaping from their various prisons across the nations. In every place they were incarcerated, there's rioting and upheaval. Many of them are being led here, or to other key points. Countermeasures are spread too thin to quell them all."

This was the final straw for Beryl. She no longer had any rage left; now she was shaking from the incredulity of it all. For a long time, she stood there mutely, wondering how everything had turned so upside-down for her in such a short period of time. What in the world was Jaedite doing...

"Jaedite," she whispered. Her fingers clutched the glass in her hand so tightly that it broke, cutting her palm. She turned to the messenger, who was much larger and more muscular than she was. He showed neither fear nor hesitation in her presence, only respect. "Bring General Jaedite before me."

"My Queen, he is currently taking leave at an exclusive spa—" With a single motion she threw her bleeding fingers around his throat and slammed him against the wall.

"I DON'T CARE IF HE'S BEEN PULLED INTO A MILLION PIECES AND SCATTERED TO THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD! Bring—Jaedite—here—NOW." Despite his greater size, the messenger struggled to breathe, or even move. He somehow managed a feeble salute before Beryl released him, gasping and coughing on the floor. She was left alone shortly thereafter, regarding her injury as an annoyance as she dressed it.

…...

Kinsei had been beside himself in wonder when Fire Lord Kuni, of all people, rescued him from being impaled. He quickly laughed it off and wrapped Kuni in the tightest bear-hug of his life. A further surprise came when Fire Lady Iku joined the fray, blasting Beryl's forces left and right with the grace and lethality of a dragon. Kinsei merely took her hands in his, and bowed. There was no time to explain; they just needed to get to the main gate of Ba Sing Se and fling it wide open. Kinsei was more than happy to oblige, and ordered his fastest air-bison (which just so happened to be Artemis) to aid them. He was given two final surprises as eight more people of the Fire Nation joined his side and fought off the soldiers—and then, from the palace, stormed a large number of former prisoners, many armed with nothing more than a fighting spirit. One of the prisoners stopped in her tracks as she saw one of the Fire Nation newcomers; they both drew their swords, attacked each other, reached a stalemate, and embraced.

"Sister," Kartti said. Keya, who had been separated from her twin and brought to Beryl's palace, smiled as she stared at the face she had missed.

"You are well. Dirty and wracked with hunger, but well."

"I could say the same of you, sister." They beamed at each other, and jerked to the side as one of Beryl's soldiers was flung unconscious at their feet. They looked at each other again.

"The battle beckons us. Your sword is poor in quality, sister. Are you fit for this challenge?"

"As fit as you and your own rusted saber. I swear, these earth-benders know nothing of craftsmanship."

"Or hospitality."

"Or style. Too much green and brown." They smiled at each other, drew their swords, and stood back-to-back, repulsing all those who came before them. Kotono, recently gifted a harpoon from one of the ships, watched their reunion with an uplifted heart. She decided to infiltrate Beryl's castle without them.

"But what about..." her brother said, looking back. She took his hand and smiled.

"They'll be all right. 'The two have become one now', as the poets say. Right now, we need to find Beryl. Mom and dad have things under control out here." He nodded numbly; Oboro, Salamander, Ku Sheng, and Lark followed them. As they were (unknowingly) coming in after Usagi and her team had swept through, there was virtually no opposition, and with Kotono and Ittou being royalty, they knew where Beryl's throne room would be (as their parents had, at one time, paid her audience, and had described the encounter to their children). Not knowing anything about the lift, they took the grand staircase.

Oboro took the lead, sweeping the opposition away with his spear; Ku Sheng barreled through anyone that got past his defense, throwing seasoned veterans around like toys; Salamander wasn't much of a warrior (aside from the biting and scratching), but she was an expert lock-pick, and got them through plenty of traps and secret passages. One door led them into Beryl's menagerie, where Lark immediately lit up and ran to the caged animals. None of them looked to be abused or mistreated in any way (in some ways, Beryl treated her pets better than her subjects), but he still didn't have the heart to just leave them. Lark had a strange affinity for animals, having lived with and trained them for his shows, and could even communicate with them in a sense. Even the insects seemed grateful as he opened their cages, and the little lemurs and ferrets and mice and moles and lizards and skunks surrounded him with glee.

"My word," Ku Sheng whispered as she beheld Beryl's prized Thunderhorns. Even one was a spectacle: as massive as a two-story house, its hide thicker than threefold steel, feet that could grind stone into powder, long tusks curving from its mouth, deep eyes seated in wisdom, immense ears that summoned a breeze with every twitch—and of course, its great trumpeting trunk, strong enough to lift a full-grown man onto its back, yet dexterous enough to pick up a sewing needle. When it brayed, the heavens shook; when it charged, the earth trembled. One was a spectacle, but three in the same room was awe-inspiring. Lark laughed as one of their snouts rubbed against his face.

"Careful, master Lark," Oboro warned him. "I've seen their wild cousins rip trees from the ground with their trunks, root and all."

"Aww, not this one," he cooed, caressing the beast's nose. "He's friendly! He's not very fond of being cooped up here, though. He says he wants to get out and feel the wind again."

"Normally I'd not mind a critter bein' free t'do its own thing," Ku Sheng said, cautiously giving the Thunderhorns a wide berth. "But who's t'say they don' wreck the whole city on th' way out?"

"I say!" Lark exclaimed defensively. He looked up into the beast's eye and pouted, "You're going to behave yourself, aren't you? Don't hurt anyone or knock anything down, right? Aww, yeah, he's as graceful as a dancer!" Lark was laughing as the Thunderhorn ruffled his hair, Oboro staring in wonder the whole time. Thunderhorns were some of the most dangerous animals he had ever encountered...and yet this boy had tamed three of them in the span of a few seconds!

"Well I'll be... Master Lark, if it's your word, as a trusted friend of the prince's, then I'll acquiesce. Set them free. They'll at least keep Beryl's people busy for a few hours." Lark happily unlocked their chains; soon the entire menagerie had been emptied out (barring a few sea creatures kept in an aquarium), with animals of all sizes and...demeanors running loose. One of the Thunderhorns stayed behind, and lifted Lark on its back. He laughed merrily.

"Oh, do you want to come with us? We'll make quite a procession for that wicked old queen! So, do you have a name? ...Ah, I see. No, I won't tell anyone. It'll be our secret."

"Your friend is really weird," Kotono muttered to her brother. He just smirked.

"Says the girl who befriended Scratchy von Bites-a-Lot." He pointed to Salamander, who was engaged in a hissing match with a large frilled lizard. Kotono shrugged.

"What can I say, she's never boring. Okay, Thunderhorn Whisperer, let's get this procession of yours moving. Bring your friend Jumbo and—" As she walked in front of the Thunderhorn, it let out a terrible roar. Kotono's hair billowed but she was undaunted; she whacked the creature's nose and pointed at it sternly. "No! Bad!"

The Thunderhorn relented and bowed in submission. Kotono pressed on.

"How does she do that?" Ittou gawked. Salamander cackled and slapped his back.

"Aye, that's our future queen!"

…...

Jaedite had known this moment would come from the beginning. He knew that he could not serve two masters, and that one day, he must betray one for the other. Duty may have made the choice clear, but love, as maudlin as that might sound, made it bearable. Kuni, Iku, Ittou, and even Kotono were worth fighting for, worth lying for, worth being branded as a traitor for. His only regret was that he might not live to see the future where his lord and lady regained their throne, or their children after them—not that he planned on passing along quietly into the night, oh no. Being summoned by Beryl in this manner meant that he would likely be killed, whether by her or her subordinates, but he would not die without taking as many of them with him as he could—and who knows? Maybe Beryl herself would fall at his hand.

If only my lord had successfully found the Avatar, he thought as he walked calmly through the palace to his inevitable fate. It should be the Avatar who deals with Beryl. Well, whoever they might be, I hope they can forgive me for what I'm about to do. Without a guide, others must rise to forge the path and build the bridge. He smiled wryly to himself. That would make quite the epitaph, wouldn't it...?

"Is something funny?" his escort grumbled. Jaedite glanced over and excused himself. Beryl had been good enough to give him an armed guard to her chambers. She wanted to be sure he found his way.

"Noisy today, isn't it?" he commented.

"Shut up," the escort barked. Jaedite grunted. Even this deep inside the palace, the discordance of battle seeped through. From the sound of things, it seemed as though his schemes were working. No doubt Kuni and Iku had found the secret entrance, and had brought an entire fleet with them to help with "negotiations".

"Are we safe from...whatever that is?" he asked. This time the guard gave him a prod with the butt of his spear.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up? Queen Beryl's quarters are just ahead. No funny business, now."

"Pity, I had such a remarkable joke to tell." He offered a slick curl of the lips as he slipped through the door; it bolted behind him with a disquieting clank.

So I'm locked in here? Oh, Beryl, you insult me. I didn't become a General just on my good looks.

"Your humble servant, your highness," he said, bowing as Beryl rose from her chair. Despite the stress she had been going through, she still held herself in resplendence and austerity. Jaedite briefly wondered how long it would take to wipe that arrogant look off her face. She approached him without saying a word, until they were nearly close enough to touch. She was carrying a staff that served as the royal symbol of her authority. It also made for a deadly weapon.

"Jaedite," she stated flatly, "explain yourself. And before you utter a single word, do not play at games with Me or feign innocence. There are presently over a hundred fifty fire-benders infesting My city and attacking My soldiers, led by their king and queen. I am in no mood for coy behavior."

"I can see that, your highness. I will respect your wishes and be as straightforward as possible."

"Good." Their eyes met, one fiery and the other calm. Jaedite braced himself.

"To be honest, your highness, I didn't expect my plans to come to fruition so early. I had always planned on coming here so that I might allow my king and queen to enter your country and avenge themselves, but the timing of it all perplexed me. You gave me a rather golden opportunity when you summoned me for that commendation of yours, and—I must confess—convincing you to give me free reign for an entire week so I had time to prepare for their arrival was a better bonus than I could have hoped. So, your majesty, you have inadvertently played a rather important part in the arrival of the fire-benders. I just wanted you to know that. But yes, in short, you pompous cow, I did betray you and have been doing so from the beginning."

She stood silently, staring at him, showing no emotion, drinking it all in.

Seething.

Her hands blurred and the staff came within a hair's breadth of cracking his skull open. Jaedite had expected an attack and kept watch on her the entire time; even so, he was nearly caught off guard. Backpedaling, he shot his hand out, calling flames—but nothing emerged. Perplexed, he stood there idiotically, his arm stretched out. Beryl smiled cruelly and tapped her coronet. The large Tear of Apsu embedded in it glistened mockingly.

"Did you already forget, you fool? Oh, Jaedite, you're making this far too enjoyable for M—" She reeled back in pain as his fist cracked against her nose. Without wasting any time for witty retorts, Jaedite spun around, grabbed the heaviest piece of furniture he could carry, and flung it against the door. The frame cracked with promise; Beryl lunged at him with murder in her eyes. Jaedite ducked out of the way, whirling behind her, taking a shot at her exposed back. He struck, Beryl spun and grabbed his arm, pulling him close, thrusting her fist into his eyes. Still latched onto his arm, she threw him over her shoulder, smashing him against the door with so much force that it burst open, scattering splinters. Jaedite was stunned but somehow he managed to swerve out of the way as Beryl rammed her staff at his head. She swung wildly, giving him a moment to grab her legs and trip her. He was on top of her in an instant, pulling his arm back for a single bone-crunching blow. Agony pierced him instead and he froze, gnashing his teeth. Beryl snarled at him, plunging the dagger she had thrust deeper into him. With a brutal shove, she pushed him away from her and stood, dusting herself off.

Jaedite's head swam, causing the world around him to tumble and careen out of control. He felt nauseous, shaky, and there was a fire in his chest that refused to die down. He clutched at the dagger still embedded inside him and crawled away, finding a wall to lean against. His breath came in shallow gasps, and he was leaving an oozing black trail behind him. Beryl regarded him as a vengeful tigress before her wounded prey.

"I should kill you now," she intoned contemptuously, "but that would be far too merciful. I think I'll just let you bleed to death on My floor, like the filthy mongrel you are. Ah, but I'll leave My dagger there for you as a memento. I want your life to ebb away slowly, Jaedite, to give you proper time to reflect on your pitiful mortality, and how the world will forever know you as a traitor! And don't entertain any delusions that your lord and master will come to your aid. We both know full well who the true power of this world is. May you rot here with the knowledge that everyone and everything you have betrayed Me for will amount to nothing but a mountain of corpses!"

She turned and prepared to abandon him, but heard him call her name.

Well, why not entertain the poor fool? What harm could he do now?

"Yes, Jaedite? What is it? What are your final words?" He smiled at her serenely and prepared for a final victory.

"Kalkin is dead, Beryl. Only deluded fools like you would believe otherwise. There's a new Avatar in the world...and they're coming for you. They might already be knocking at your gate, and you wouldn't even know it." He laughed roughly; she scowled and stormed off. Alone, death approaching with every breath he drew, Jaedite looked up at the ceiling, wondering if it had all been worth it. He wanted to believe so.

"Princess, how I wish I could see you one more time..."

…...

The five girls became an unstoppable force from the moment they stepped out of the lift. Many of Beryl's finest benders and warriors had been culled from their barracks on the fourth floor to help with the attack, but the girls saw to it that very few got past them. Makoto opened up by ripping a large oak door off its hinges and flinging it at a squad of fifteen, then tore another off and used it as a shield when archers attacked from the rear. She hurled the door at them, crushing half their forces; Minako swept the other half aside with a deft flick of the wrist. Backup spearmen arrived on both sides, but she issued a ferocious gust at the girls' feet, springing them into the air while she drew the spearmen into each other with an immense suction blast.

"Not too shabby," Makoto said, grinning as she tapped Minako's shoulder with her fist. Minako hummed proudly to herself as she dusted her hands. After running around checking a few rooms, they were surrounded again; Rei looked up, noticing a lit chandelier, and brought the fire down on her foes. When one door burst open, issuing twelve earth-benders, a row of candelabras turned into her playthings as she scorched them into a fast retreat. Ami was thinking of some small way she could contribute when she felt the ground trembling beneath her. An overwhelming number of benders, soldiers, and officers had been alerted to their presence, and were storming down the hallway. Ami looked around for something useful, and noticed one of the windows was open. Drawing out all of her power, she called out to the distant sea, pulling up an enormous column of foamy water that slithered up, up, up, up, into the open window. Ami drew her arm back, and with all her strength, shoved the wall of water into the crowd, sweeping it clean in a rushing torrent. The screams of the legion carried on for a good while before eventually fading; Ami exhaled with relief.

"And the MVP Award for the day goes to Ami Mizuno!" Usagi exclaimed. The other girls cheered and applauded, Ami just blushed and tried not to look silly.

"Ah...I-I don't think I deserve that much praise..."

The girls were really on a roll. Nothing stood in their way now. The opposition was thinning out, and with every dead end came one less place for Beryl to hide. Everything was going their way, even when they were ambushed; Makoto nailed two guards with a nasty roundhouse kick while Rei judo-flipped another into a wall, and Minako danced around two assailants, jabbing with the fluidity of her element. Even Ami gave one of the benders a swift kick in the guts, while Usagi wrestled a cudgel from another. She managed to pry it away from him and smash him with it, but one of the soldiers they had neglected snuck off. As soon as he was a safe distance away, he opened a hidden panel in the wall, flipped a switch, and down came two heavy latticed iron gates. They had been installed for protection, but they also served as a cage: Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Rei were trapped on one side, and Usagi was isolated in another.

"Son of a..." The soldier scurried away before they could exact any vengeance; no amount of reaching, pulling, or bending could get the gate to move or raise the lever again. Usagi leaned helplessly against her side; her friends met her, looking disheartened.

"Come on, everybody," Minako said, stepping into the only hallway available to them, "we're not beaten by a long shot! This is a huge palace, and I'll bet there's a way around this stupid trap."

"Mina's right," Rei said. She looked to Usagi and tried to appear strong for her sake. "We'll find a way around this. Just hang tight for a few minutes. I know you can do this." Usagi's worrisome expression became steadfast, and they shook hands through the small opening. She stood and watched her friends take the hallway, and backed away. Weakness threatened to rear its ugly head again—after all, what could she do here, by herself?—but Usagi clenched her fists and stood strong. Now was not the time for cowardice or indecision. There was still a job to do.

She resumed checking every door and exploring every corner. If her friends caught up with her, fine. But if not...well...Beryl would soon know what it was like to mess with an "ordinary" girl. Room after room yielded nothing—Usagi knew she had to find Beryl but couldn't help but feel relieved whenever she didn't—she was beginning to think that the Queen might be on the second floor, when an alarm sounded. Usagi heard several soldiers marching her way, and hid inside a room until they passed. A few of them mentioned getting the queen out of the palace, this was an emergency, the queen needs an escort, find safe passage for her highness—that sort of thing. Usagi began to feel very tense, and worried that Beryl would slip from their grasp. As soon as the coast was clear, she resumed her search more hastily than before, trying not to think about her friends, and whether they were safe or successful—or Mamoru, or her family, or what she would actually do if she found Beryl by herself. Nothing mattered but the task put before her.

Usagi flung open what felt like the thousandth door when she finally broke her stride and stared in awe. This room was radically different from all the others. There were two rows of reddish-purple columns flanking a rich, ornate carpet that stretched across the entire room, with dimly-lit candles made from solid gold wax hanging on the walls. There was a rippling fountain on one side and a large table set off to the other, with a few ornate velvet chairs tucked into it; the carpet led up to a small set of stairs, and on top of them was a seat made of exquisitely-carved marble, decorated with rare jewels.

No. Not a seat. A throne.

Beryl's throne. Usagi gulped.

Standing at the table, muttering softly, packing a few things into a carrying case was a woman: tall, regal, wearing a flowing purple dress, her hair cascading in rivulets of rust and blood, arms pale, a necklace of diamond and pearl jingling at her neck. Usagi Tsukino had never seen Queen Beryl before, but there was absolutely no mistaking her. She was transfixed to the spot, not sure whether she should approach the woman or slip outside and wait for her friends. Suddenly, before she could make a move, Beryl stiffened, sensing the intruder. She whirled around and glared with surprise and rage:

"Who are you?"

And so the two met for the first time.

The end of "Beryl's Reckoning"

Next time: "Hail to the Queen"