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VIII - Trust - VIII

VIII - T - VIII

With the sounds of Aerrow’s footsteps fading away, Finn took the opportunity to sneak over to Piper’s door. It wasn’t common for him to do this, because it wasn’t his style, but he felt really bad. He didn’t blame her for slapping him across the face. He didn’t blame Aerrow for not speaking to him about their so-called relationship because it was the past.

There was nothing to be said about the past.

At least in Aerrow’s head.

What he admired about Aerrow was that he lived in the present. He and Aerrow had a lot in common in that they lived their lives to the fullest. That was why he was in this squadron. He didn’t think he could stand really settling down somewhere and missing all the excitement and living on the edge of life. Finn just didn’t work that way.

He sighed deeply and leaned against the wall. Piper was sniffling. Oh shoot. He even made Piper cry. He wished he could turn it all back, but that wasn’t possible, unless there was a time-reversing crystal or something, which would be awesome, but then time itself should never be taken for granted.

He slid down and buried his face in his hands. He was only going to say this once. He took a deep breath and then softly, very softly, he said, “I’m sorry.”

He stood up on his feet, dusted the imaginary dirt off his shoulders and started walking back to his room. He wondered if Piper heard it. He wondered if his apology mattered at all. It was better than nothing and he didn’t feel so bad anymore. But so lost in his thoughts he was that he failed to notice a pair of orange eyes staring at him in utter shock and disbelief.

VIII - T - VIII

A long time ago, Zartacla had been the best terra for prison in the Cyclonian Empire. When Aerrow and Radarr had gotten themselves caught, freed the prisoners and escaped the terra, that had all changed. Mr. Moss had long been gone and all that was left of the terra were the forest, the prison and the traps.

It was perfect for the Murk Raiders if they knew how to take advantage of it.

The Storm Hawks had all spread out again. Finn and Junko were lingering in the forest; Piper and Radarr were searching in the morning skies. Starling wasn’t with them this time, since she had other missions to do. Stork was watching from the Condor. Dark Ace and Aerrow were walking into the prison, looking around cautiously.

The prison was full of shadows, the dim redness being the only source of light. The sound of water drops echoed throughout the prison heavily. The air was dry and stuffy. Many of the cells were broken with the bent bars and the cracked walls. Strands of leaves and vines decorated said walls, giving the entire prison a haunted look.

Aerrow paused for a moment and glanced at Dark Ace. There was an impish gleam in his eyes and suddenly, he burst out running. Dark Ace groaned, shaking his head. It felt like the old times, with one of them starting a chase, but as he ran after Aerrow, he knew that this was different.

Something had changed between them again.

He wasn’t sure if he liked it.

He supposed it all led back to that night of their coupling, and when he had told Aerrow about his parents and then after Dark Ace had discovered something in those emerald eyes. But he didn’t know what it all meant. He didn’t know how to deal with those things.

Aerrow was fast, zigzagging from one cell to the next. Every time Dark Ace caught up with him, Aerrow would simply slip out of his grasp and leap away. It was times like these he wondered if he was getting too old. He wasn’t up to this. Or maybe he’d rather do other things with Aerrow…

Aerrow finally slowed down and eventually stopped. Dark Ace had stopped as well, standing by Aerrow’s side. In front of them was a red door, which was supposedly the entrance to Mr. Moss’s office. The door suddenly creaked and as it opened, they took several steps back.

Before them wasn’t a complete man, but a spider-like creature of sorts. He was dressed like a gangster with his pallid suit, but he wore no pants because he didn’t need them. Instead of two human legs, he had spider-like legs. All the tips were sharp and pointy like the edge of a blade.

He moved around with his many legs, chuckling softly to himself. The mere presence of this creature had roused fear in all of Atmosia and even some parts of Cyclonia. His reputation wasn’t as bad as Dark Ace’s though; the only reason the creature was so notorious was because he could control people with bribery and intimidate them with his frightening size and strength.

“You have arrived at last,” The Colonel said with a predatory smile. “I found it rather sad that my nephew had easily been caught.” As if on cue, the Murk Raiders popped out of their hiding spots, surrounding Dark Ace and Aerrow, sniggering at the sight of their newly caught preys.

Dark Ace turned, his back pressing against Aerrow. He almost couldn’t believe that he was working with his former nemesis, but if he had to be honest with himself, he couldn’t have picked a better partner.

“I’m not even going to ask how that’s possible,” Aerrow replied with a small frown, seemingly disturbed, “but yeah, your nephew? He’s in Atmosia’s prisons now. I’m surprised that you actually allied yourself with the Murk Raiders.”

“Well, misery loves company, I suppose,” The Colonel said casually, “but it isn’t as surprising as seeing the Dark Ace on your side.“ The Colonel gave them a leery look. “We all heard about the three tasks he must do, but I’m afraid this is where you will all meet your end.”

“And be defeated by the likes of you? I don’t think so,” Dark Ace declared with a smirk. A hand slipped into his, pressing something familiar into his palm. He glanced at the item and realized that it was one of Aerrow’s energy blades. Aerrow smiled at him and faced the Murk Raiders. He let out a battle cry as he charged after the enemies, sending many of them tumbling into the cells.

Dark Ace laughed and focused his attention on The Colonel. With Aerrow taking care of those Murk Raiders, Dark Ace was left to deal with the boss. If he got through this alive, they would only have to capture one more captain and that would leave the final task, the final test, which all remained a mystery to the Storm Hawks and himself.

But this was fun, this was thrilling. Adrenaline was pumping in his veins and he could finally let go.

The Colonel made the first move, looming over Dark Ace, trying to stomp on him with the sharp points of his many legs. The ground shook under the weight of him and for someone so big, The Colonel was moving quite fast. However, he was not fast enough for Dark Ace as he slipped through The Colonel’s grasp and jumped on his back.

He was about to stab the creature. It was simply too easy, but before he knew it, those unusually strong arms grabbed a hold of him and flung him across the room like a weightless, broken doll. The creature laughed in amusement and made an all too familiar gesture with his pincher that meant:

Care to try again?

Dark Ace growled. He wasn’t about to be defeated by this… thing. Had he gotten soft? When did he get so weak? With a battle cry of his own, he leapt after The Colonel and swung the energy blade at him. There was a subtle sound of thick liquid oozing out of the new wound and everyone all stopped as the head of what used to be The Colonel rolled across the floor.

He should have enjoyed this moment of victory, but instead, he felt this sudden sense of dread. Time moved again and all the Murk Raiders tried to escape as they screamed for their lives. Aerrow grabbed many of the cutlasses and flung them towards the Murk Raiders, taking them down one by one. Each throw was swift and precise, hitting all the sensitive parts of the bodies before collapsing to the floor.

By the end of it all, Dark Ace and Aerrow were strolling out of the prison, all stained in the blood of their enemies.

“I’m going to be punished for this, aren’t I?” Dark Ace inquired, looking at Aerrow, expecting some form of disapproval. Instead, Aerrow merely laughed, his eyes shining in amusement. Was he going crazy?

There was something so alluring about Aerrow smiling like that. He was positive and hopeful, much like his younger self, believing in that no matter how dark and hopeless situations could be, everything would be all right. And indeed, he actually believed Aerrow, believed in that wonderful smile.

“It was bound to happen. I don‘t think he‘d ever allow anybody to capture him,” Aerrow said softly. “And what’s one more to your collection of crimes? When did that matter to you?”

Now, he wanted to wipe that smile off Aerrow’s face. There were several ways of doing so. He could either challenge Aerrow into another one of their spars, or he could kiss him.

He’d probably settle for the latter and he would have done it if not for the fact that the Condor was up there, watching their every move and that the Storm Hawks were coming this way to meet them. He didn’t want others to know of his relationship with Aerrow. It wasn’t the right time, though he had a feeling that the blond might suspect something.

VIII - T - VIII

All of the Storm Hawks were in the recreation room. It was silent. Several pairs of eyes gazed at Junko, waiting for him to tell his horrible secret. Junko glanced at Finn, gave him a crooked smile and shrugged at them.

“Uh, I don’t really have any big secrets,” Junko said softly. Finn could only laugh, because he knew that it was a big fat lie. People had a habit of underestimating Junko, deeming him to be stupid, but Junko was one of the smartest Wallops Finn knew.

“Come on, tell us one!” Finn encouraged.

“Uh, I dunno if it counts as a secret, but…” Junko trailed off, shrugging again. “I just wish everyone else is open about theirs, and just stuff in general. We’re supposed to be a team, right? So we’re not alone in dealing with whatever problems we come across.”

They all stared at Aerrow for a while.

Aerrow had a confused look on his face. Dark Ace snorted and rose to his feet. “That obviously doesn’t apply to me.” He glared at them all and suddenly left the room. That would have been normal, if not for Aerrow standing up on his feet as well and going after Dark Ace.

What was that all about?

VIII - T - VIII

“Wait!” Aerrow called out, grabbing a hold of the man’s wrist. They stopped in the hallway and faced each other. Aerrow stared at the scowling face of his rival and sighed. A lot of things have been going on to the point that he couldn’t find the time to reflect, but he knew why Junko’s comment had bothered Dark Ace.

He understood him after all.

“What?” Dark Ace snarled, shaking his hand off Aerrow’s grip. “It’s true. That doesn’t apply to me. Even though I‘m living with the Storm Hawks, I’m merely here as a guest or even a prisoner.”

“Then why were you there?” Aerrow wondered. Usually, Dark Ace would just lock himself in his room, creating his own little prison, but ever since that night, a lot of things have changed.

Dark Ace didn’t seem to know the answer to that; the man just glared at him and turned it all around. “Why did you follow me?”

Aerrow couldn’t answer that either. It just felt natural for him to comfort the people he cared about if they were upset. Did that mean that he cared for Dark Ace? Would that explain why he had saved him multiple times? Or was it all because of obligations and honor codes? Did it all lead back to that deal they had agreed upon many months ago?

Aerrow settled with a shrug. “If nothing else, I’ve always followed you.”

That was true.

In the beginning of their rivalry, he had always been obsessed in trying to defeat Dark Ace and vice versa. He had chased Dark Ace and the man had done the same. Their destinies were tied; it seemed that they would walk on the same road, but for how long? What would happen when this was all over?

No, he didn’t want to think about it. He could only live in the present and he’d live it to the fullest. He glanced at Dark Ace again and the man snorted in response. Aerrow smiled. For once he had confused Dark Ace.

Serves him right for trying to manipulate me.

VIII - T - VIII

“We’re running out of crystals again,” Piper announced to the team in the bridge. She sighed, shaking her head. They have been traveling a lot more than the usual, which required an immense amount of fuel crystals.

“You know, that’s really bad,” Stork said ominously. “If you didn’t tell us sooner, who knows what would have happened. We would have stopped in midair and fell to our dooms.”

“Oh come on, lighten up,” Aerrow said with a grin. He was really calm and a bit happy these days. Piper was rather puzzled about that, but if Aerrow was happy, then that meant whatever was going on with him have been resolved. “I guess we’re heading back to the Wayside.”

“Wait a moment. I want to check out something,” Piper said with her own grin, trying to restrain herself from jumping in excitement. She took out a recent map and pointed at a purple dot of a Terra. “There’s a new shop over this terra; it just specializes in crystals, so if we need something that might be rare in other places, we can buy it over there.”

“Where is it located?” Aerrow asked curiously, coming over to Piper.

“Terra Mont. Its history is kind of strange,” Piper mused. “Because in the older maps, it was there under a different name, but in last year’s maps, it just disappeared all together. Now, it’s back again as Terra Mont.”

“Terra Mont…” Aerrow trailed off thoughtfully. “Let’s go there!”

Stork nodded and set a course for the terra. Once they arrived, they saw the tall mountains, the deep caves and the rain forests below. Some of them ooh-ed and ahh-ed; others took a closer look and saw that beneath some of the forests were small lakes. The ship began to slow down and finally made a stable stop at the nearest lake.

They came out and looked around. Not many people were there, but it was to be expected since this was a rediscovered terra. With the new shop, beautiful scenery and the resources, that was bound to change. But why had people forgotten about this terra?

“There it is!” Finn exclaimed, pointing at a purple, cozy-looking shop across from the lake. They all ventured out, save for Stork because he didn’t like leaving the Condor by herself. Dark Ace would usually stay in the Condor as well, but a quick glance at him walking by Aerrow told Piper otherwise. She wondered if he knew something about this.

“So you finally come to the Amethysts.”

The Storm Hawks froze and looked around again. That feminine voice, it sounded so familiar. Many of them glanced back at the shop and standing by the door was someone Piper and Dark Ace were well acquainted with.

Cyclonis was barely recognizable with her pale face lacking the dark shadows under her eyes, her hair pulled back into a knot and her slim body adorned in a long, light blue dress.

She looked rather stunning. Piper glanced at Dark Ace and saw that he was in shock too. She figured if they didn’t act normally, Aerrow would eventually ask them what was wrong and by accident, they would reveal Cyclonis’ identity. She straightened herself, cleared her throat and held out her hand.

“Yeah, it was on the map,” she said casually, though inwardly she was nervous. Cyclonis practically glided over to them, smiling softly, though in her eyes was sudden spark of mischievousness. Oh no. What was the former empress up to? Would she be foolish enough to reveal herself?

“Are you fond of maps?” Cyclonis inquired, taking a hold of her hand. They were supposed to shake hands, merely a friendly greeting, but instead Cyclonis squeezed it softly. Piper blushed. “I assume you are all here for crystals. You happen to be our very first customers.”

“Really?” Piper asked. Some part of her wondered what Cyclonis could really offer to her. She glanced back at the Storm Hawks, who all shared the same puzzled, but awed looks about the terra. “I think I’ll take care of things from here.”

“Are you sure?” Aerrow asked. “Maybe we should look around first.”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Piper said assuredly with a big smile. “I mean, you guys can do that without me. Maybe Finn can try my job again, you know? Figuring out maps and stuff. He needs to work on his tactics skills.”

“Hey, why did you have to bring that up?” Finn asked sulkily. “I already said sorry for not telling you guys sooner.” And indeed, he had, right after Aerrow had walked out of her bedroom. It was truly shocking because she didn’t expect him to do anything that mature, but maybe he was finally growing up.

“Why? Well, it’s because I care,” Piper said with another one of her big smiles that earned a few surprising snickers from Dark Ace. Aerrow stared at them with an arched eyebrow and shrugged. And slowly, they all began to leave, spreading out once again.

Cyclonis let out what suspiciously sounded like a giggle.

“You’re a terrible liar,” she remarked and Piper realized that Cyclonis was still holding her hand. She blushed again. “Now, do you want to come in? It’s about time I show you my collection.”

Piper nodded and allowed Cyclonis to lead her into the shop. Once they were inside, she looked around and saw that nearly everything, from the walls to the counter was purple. On the glassy floor were so many boxes of different, vibrant crystals, some she haven’t seen before. They were all so beautiful, glittering brightly under the lights. She glanced to the side and saw cases of books that all related to just crystals alone.

Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over her. She could stay here and lose herself in these books and crystals. She could learn everything and finally master the art of crystals, but she couldn’t forget her squadron; they all needed her to be there.

Still…

“This is so cool,” she whispered in awe.

Cyclonis couldn’t suppress her smirk. “I know, right?”

It could be like the old times now, when Cyclonis was Lark, her best friend, and Piper was just herself in that she wasn’t the Storm Hawks’s mother hen. They would be girls like this, obsessing in whatever interested them and telling each other stories and giggling over nothing and everything.

“Now what is it that you need?” Cyclonis asked, gesturing at the crystals again. She finally let go of Piper’s hand, only to let it rest on Piper’s shoulder.

It was a comforting gesture, but it was often Aerrow who did that because it was his way of reaching out to her, of consoling her when she was down. This was different, strangely a bit more intimate.

“Oh, just fuel and engine crystals,” Piper answered and maybe it had something to do with them being on friendly terms right now, but she felt that she needed to tell Cyclonis why. “We’re traveling a lot more than the usual now for the second task. If we manage to capture the last captain, then we’ll only have the final task left.”

“Ahh, I see,” Cyclonis nodded and as she moved around, going behind the counter, Piper felt the mood of the room shift. Once Cyclonis found what Piper was looking for, she handed the boxes to her. As she stepped back, Piper saw how serious she looked and how lonely.

In that brief moment, Piper forgot who they truly were.

“Lark?” she asked softly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m glad…” Cyclonis trailed off. From the back, she grabbed two chairs and pushed one of them towards Piper. The two girls-- no, women sat on the chairs and gazed at each other. “I’m glad that he’s finally moving on. While he’s fighting for his freedom, all I have been doing is acting as though I have it by starting a small business with my past associates.”

“Associates?” Piper inquired, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly, she wanted to reach out to her, to understand why Cyclonis seemed so sad. “Don’t you mean your subordinates?”

Was it a bad thing that they were working for Cyclonis again? For all Piper knew, this was a set up, but if that were the case, then the forbidden crystal would have already eliminated Cyclonis for even attempting to rebuild her army.

“No, they are no longer my subordinates. I’d rather not treat them the way I used to treat them before and the way they were treated under Atmosia,” Cyclonis explained in a bitter voice. “One would think that with the way the Cyclonians tortures their prisoners, they would be the ultimate sadists, but the conditions for the prisoners in Atmosia aren’t any different. We both physically, mentally and emotionally torture whoever crosses us, whoever breaks our rules.”

“What do you mean? How would you know that? Doesn’t it make sense to punish those who break the laws?”

“The real world doesn’t make any sense,” Cyclonis said with a small smile, “but I think it’s cute that even throughout these years, you have no idea what’s going on. When the time comes, you will understand what I mean and see why I’m here now.” She rose slowly and asked, “Is there anything else that you need?”

“No,” Piper answered, feeling rather sulky about this. “But does the collection end here? Or have you created new ones?” There, she was back in her role now, as a Storm Hawk, as a fighter of evil, but a part of her didn’t want to; a part of her just wanted something that her friends couldn’t give to her, a bond that she knew still existed between her and Lark.

“My collection always grows,” Cyclonis said with pride. “In fact, beyond this door,” she paused and gestured at another door. It seemed mysterious with its burgundy color, calling out to Piper, tempting and luring her into the unknown, “are all of my collections. Would you like to see the rest?”

“Yes, I would,” Piper said breathlessly and after setting the boxes on the floor, she jumped back and once again let Cyclonis lead the way. The former empress opened the door and the two slipped inside. They strolled down the brightly lit staircase and sauntered into the golden passageways. There were so many different doors and one by one, Cyclonis opened them all.

By the end of the little tour, they stopped at one final room. Cyclonis opened the door and walked inside. The room was different from the others; there were lavish red walls decorated with paintings of landscapes. Across from Cyclonis and Piper was a small bed with silky, mauve sheets and fluffy pink pillows. A small window above the bed revealed the darkness of the night.

“They’re all wonderful!" Piper sighed in bliss, letting herself flop on the bed. “You know, maybe when all of those tests are over, I wouldn’t mind working for a place like this. I could imagine doing this forever.”

“Would you like to stay for the night then?” Cyclonis inquired with a grin. “It wouldn’t be a problem for either of us. I’ll talk to Dark Ace and tell him to inform your captain.”

“Can I trust you to not turn him against us again?” Piper inquired with a small laugh, giving Cyclonis a leery look. “Or do I have to accompany you and watch over you to make sure that you’re not doing anything naughty?”

“Can I trust you to trust me that I know what I’m doing?” Cyclonis asked with her own little laugh. “Rest for tonight.” She turned around and headed towards the door.

“Lark?”

“Yes?” Cyclonis inquired softly.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” the former empress replied and finally, she closed the door, leaving Piper to herself and her confusing thoughts.

VIII - T - VIII

Dark Ace knew this place.

It was the secret sanctuary of Master Cyclonis.

He watched as the team split up, some going back to the ship, others choosing to explore the terra. How could this be on the maps again? He had a feeling that the Sky Council had something to do with this.

He wanted to talk to Cyclonis. He wanted her to explain herself, but from the way she seduced Piper into her shop, she didn’t want to deal with Dark Ace right now. He grumbled at that, somewhat frustrated, but he couldn’t deny what she really wanted. After all, it wasn’t something he could give.

But he could wait. Or he could just explore like the others. He settled with the latter and ventured out, exploring the surroundings of the shop. At the back, he heard someone chopping some wood. A quick glance revealed a familiar face— Snipe.

Snipe had that little gleeful gleam in his eyes as he continued to chop and slice down the logs with his big, powerful arms. He seemed to be happy and content in his raggedy blue pants and white shirt. He was one of the commoners now, but he was still working for Cyclonis.

By the window, Dark Ace noticed another familiar face.

Who could miss the curve of that violin and its perfectionist owner?

“Ravess,” Dark Ace whispered to himself. Alright, now he was a little more than frustrated. He marched back to the front of the shop and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms stubbornly. He decided to stay there for the rest of the day.

Time passed. Night came.

What were they doing in there?

At last, Cyclonis came out of the shop, this time adorned in her regular outfit of black and white. She stood by his side and leaned against the wall. The black tendrils crawled up to her waist and her arms, snaking around her wrists. Stupid forbidden crystal.

Was that the real reason Piper was here?

To help her get rid of that crystal?

But at what cost?

The moon was rising, bathing them in its luminance. This was like the beach, except instead of the beach, there was the lake. And with a cool breeze here and there, giving them the shivers, it was a calm night.

“Why is that that they have the privilege to be with you? Am I wrong that I was your most trusted commander?” he wondered, feeling rather irritated and strangely betrayed by this. Cyclonis flashed him a smile and shrugged.

“There was nothing for them, unlike you with the Storm Hawks.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you pass all three tests,” Cyclonis paused for a moment, giving him an intense, contemplative look, “you can earn your freedom. In my case, I had to use my old name to get around here without being discovered. And at least, you found your place.”

“What are you talking about?” Dark Ace inquired, insulted by this. “Found my place in the Storm Hawks? Do you know how it is like to live with them? In the beginning, they were all afraid of me. Piper even left me in the flames of those wretched phoenixes.”

“Oh? I’m not surprised. She isn’t particularly fond of someone who tries to hurt any of her friends. She had already defeated me once,” Cyclonis said with a small chuckle. “But go on. Tell me how horrible it is. Is it nice sleeping in Aerrow’s bed and vice versa?”

He froze.

She didn’t just… how?

“Is it that obvious?”

“To me it is,” Cyclonis said with a wicked smile. “And once again, I’m not surprised. You tend to go after the young ones, though…” she paused again, tilting her head to the side, “you never made a pass at me.”

Dark Ace growled at that. He was glad that he was talking to her and as equals, as friends even, but why was she mocking him? “That’s because it’s also pretty obvious that you have something for Piper ever since you befriended her.”

“Yes, I know,” she said with a long sigh. “You should have seen her in my shop. She looks so happy. She‘s going to stay with me tonight, so do inform Aerrow about it.“ She paused again, as though thinking and then added, “She even said that she wouldn’t mind working for a place like mine after all the tasks are done, but I’m not sure if that‘s possible.”

“What do you mean?” Dark Ace asked again, feeling that familiar sense of dread. She was all puzzles to him. He used to understand her, especially in how she thought, how she acted and what her motivations were, but now, that had all changed.

She was a mystery.

“You’ll see.”

VIII - T - VIII

Everyone was back in the Condor, save for Piper and Dark Ace. That was really weird. Well, he could understand if Piper actually slept in that shop for the night, because that girl was really obsessed with her crystals, but Dark Ace? Why was he there? Finn didn’t know and he wasn’t sure if he should know. There were a lot of things he didn’t know about the squadron nowadays.

He glanced at Aerrow and decided that he needed another break, another one of those mini vacations. He couldn’t do the things he used to do in here. He couldn’t casually joke around with Piper always bringing him down. He couldn‘t even joke around Dark Ace without the man giving him ominous glares. People were so sensitive. Why couldn’t they just chill like Suzy-Lu and her squadron?

He climbed down from the Condor and gazed at the night sky. It had been a while since he really isolated himself from the group. He would usually be with Junko and he’d talk to Junko about his issues, but for now he needed to sort things out by himself.

Several days ago, he had apologized to Piper, but that apology wasn’t for teasing her. He was actually surprised by how well the team had taken it (save for Piper and maybe Dark Ace) as though nothing really surprised them anymore.

He crossed his arms and stared at the ground. The winds whistled around him and from a distance, he could hear a strange tune of the violin. Normally, he’d just use his earplugs because he wasn’t into the classics. He was more into rock and metal because he loved head banging to that kind of music and playing his electric guitar.

But something about this piece calmed him and his mind flashed back, all the way back into the final showdown between Cyclonia and the rest of Atmos. Everyone had already known whom their final opponents were going to be. With his superior music and sharpshooter skills, his match and his opponent could be none other than Ravess.

That battle had been a long one, but in the end, despite her skills in the bow and arrow, he had all the luck. The team’s comedian couldn’t die, right? She had lost her bow and arrow; she had even lost her violin and he had taken great pleasure in utterly pissing her off by rocking out.

She had been so frustrated, coming after him, trying to strangle his neck for his terrible taste in music, but he turned it all around and pinned her to the ground. Around that time, there were other Sky Knights in the area and then they had taken her away. That was the last time he had seen her.

He didn’t know how the Sky Council had dealt with her.

He wasn’t even sure where her brother was.

According to Junko, he had defeated him not by brute strength, but by his wits, because if there was a difference between the two powerful fighters, it was their intelligence. Snipe was egotistical and stupid, the opposite of Junko.

The music seemed to have ended, snapping him out of his reverie. He blinked several times. Why was he listening to that stupid crap? He really needed to get himself together and schedule the next Secret Day. He took out a miniature version of a magician’s black hat from his pocket, opened the small lid and placed two fingers inside.

All the names of the Storm Hawks save for those who had already revealed something about themselves and Radarr (because he couldn’t exactly speak his thoughts out loud) were there. After a moment or so, he took out a small slip of paper. He read it carefully and grinned.

Piper was next.

VIII - T - VIII

Aerrow stared at the ceiling of his bedroom listlessly. These rare, peaceful nights were the only times where he could truly step back and think about what he was doing, what was truly going on around him and within him.

Finn had finally finished what he had started and for that, Aerrow couldn’t be anymore relieved. When Finn had exposed their secret, he had been stunned; he didn’t know what to say or how to react. What was there to say when there was nothing to be said at all?

He had to admit that at the least, Finn had guts. Eventually, they would all have to reveal their own secrets, their own little demons. Did Aerrow have a choice in letting the team know about his relationship with Dark Ace? What kind of relationship did they have in the first place?

They were rivals, then pseudo-teammates and then they were something else. What was that something else? When Dark Ace had embraced him with such possessiveness, if Aerrow didn’t know any better, he would have said that Dark Ace was jealous of Finn. If that wasn’t disturbing enough, the reality of what had happened in Zartacla was finally sinking into him. It was nauseating.

How could he reason Dark Ace’s actions towards the dead Colonel? Was he slowly accepting Dark Ace and his twisted ways? He was glad that Dark Ace had opened up to him. He was glad that he knew a little more about Dark Ace’s past. And he certainly didn’t mind Dark Ace’s ministrations. In fact, he actually preferred it.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Hmm?” Aerrow gazed at his bedmate inquisitively. Dark Ace shifted, letting his body rest on top of Aerrow’s. He returned the gaze with the same intensity, and Aerrow wondered. What was he to Dark Ace? What was Dark Ace to him? Their relationship was strange; it wasn’t hollow and empty like his past relationship with Finn; it was far more intense, like the fires of those red eyes.

He mentally pulled himself back from his thoughts and realized that in the end, he had only one more question to ask Dark Ace, and that one question alone would change everything between them forever.

VIII - T - VIII

A/N: I had to rewrite at least two scenes twice in here. This chapter was really hard to write. @_@

Please review! This story’s almost done! Just two more chapters and viola!