One day

He stood there bracing himself against the wind. It was chilly today but he wasn't cold. The others had told him to come inside but he declined and continued to keep watch. He was up there keeping watch, just in case they found them. The fifteen year old stopped staring at the sky for a moment and turned around to look at a house. It was a simple two story, two windows to look out of on the top. He smiled. He could make out a little boy with red hair staring out the window at him. He had known the little guy ever since he had become a Storm hawk. He took care of him at times, always like a big brother.

The little figure raised a hand and waved. He waved back. He could see that he had that little creature with him. He had no idea what it was but when he had brought it home, the little boy insisted on keeping him. The little boy had named him Radarr, and let the thing ride around on his shoulder. He smiled and remembered the day when the little boy showed Radarr to his mother. She didn't like him at first, but that changed when she saw how gentle and protecting the creature was. Radarr became family and everybody loved him.

The rest of the Storm Hawks were inside preparing, just in case the worse was to come. They had asked him if he wanted to take a break, but he shook his head no. It seemed he had always been a lone wolf, even after he joined the Storm hawks and became a co-pilot. He always helped when asked and listened when a friend needed to talk. He knew why they were after them. It was because of him. He had run away from his father. He just couldn't stand being there anymore! What they did was wrong.

How could they even begin to think about taking over the entire Atmos? His father never understood him. He tried his best but he just couldn't do what his father wanted him to do. His father had wanted him to become a soldier in an army. He had wanted him to bow to a man he didn't even know. His father had wanted him to do whatever was necessary to win, by cheating or even killing people to accomplish the task. His father even wanted to change his name from Zander to some ridiculous name. He sighed and looked back at the sky. One day they were going to find him. He knew this in his heart. He couldn't run forever.

The sudden roar of an engine made him duck. He looked up in shock to see one of the men from that wretched place try and grab him. He rolled down the hill then broke into a dead run towards the house. He threw open the door and yelled, "They're hear!" Everyone came running out of the house, one of the women held the little boy's hand. They all ran to where the skimmers were parked. The little boy suddenly let go of his mother's hand. "Wait I forgot something!" The little boy turned around and raced back to the house, Radarr clinging to his shoulder. He disappeared in the house just as enemy skimmers began to land. His mother watched horrified as the men got off and entered the house. "Aerrow!" she screamed.

"I'll go and get him!" Zander yelled as he ran towards the house. He ran around to the back of the house. There he started to climb up a tree that led to Aerrow's room. Once he got to the top he jumped onto the balcony and raced into the room. "Aerrow" he called softly."Aerrow are you in here?"

"Za…Zander?" a voice called out unsure. He followed the voice and found Aerrow huddled in a corner, fear evident on his face.

"Its okay Aerrow, everything is going to be fine." His voice was calming to the little boy and he relaxed immediately. "Come on we have to get out of here really quiet, okay?"

"Okay" he whispered.

Zander quietly bent down. "Okay this will be easily if I give you a piggyback ride."

Aerrow silently got on Zander's back, with Radarr holding on to his shoulder, and wrapped his arms around his neck. "Ready?"

"Yep" he replied quietly.

Zander silently crept back to the balcony and made sure the coast was clear before jumping off the balcony to the tree. He felt Aerrow's hold on him tighten in fear of falling. Zander let out a quiet gasp of pain as his body slammed into the bark of the tree. Their descent was slow and nerve-racking. When they got to the bottom they both let out a sigh of relief. Zander scanned the area around them. "Okay Aerrow were going to have to run to those tree's over there." Zander pointed to a group of trees where the skimmers were secretly parked. To get to them they had to run across the yard, then across a small field.

Zander took one last look around then ran full speed across the yard. He could hear Aerrow's breath in his ear. It was short and quick, he was starting to panic again. "Its going to be okay Aerrow, were almost there" he said as they made it to the end of the yard and were now running across the field. Zander suddenly heard someone yell, "There he is, open fire!"

Zander gasped as searing pain shot through his body. He collapsed to his knee's the pain becoming worse by the second. Aerrow jumped off and checked to see if he was all right.

"Zander are you okay!"

"Aerrow listen to me, you have to keep going, get to the tree's I showed you, your parent's are there."

The little boy looked shocked at the command he was given. "N…No I won't leave you!" Tears sprung to his eyes and quickly ran down his face.

Zander turned his head and looked back. They were getting closer. "Aerrow please just go!" He finally figured out what crystal they had used to shoot him with. It was a paralysis crystal. If Aerrow didn't leave there would be no way Zander could protect him. He knew that they only wanted him; he couldn't even imagine what they would do to Aerrow.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Do you see them Darien?" Aerrow's mother stood behind her husband as he looked through a pair of binoculars.

"No…wait, there they are!" Darien watched as Zander started to make a full out dash towards them. "There going to make it!" with that said the Storm hawks all let out some of their anxiety with sighs of relief. All of the sudden they heard a commotion. "There he is, open fire!" All of their faces paled. Darien quickly looked out of the binoculars again. He gasped, then threw them down and grabbed his weapon. "Hurry we have to get to them before they do!"

"What happened!" Aerrow's mom yelled, completely panicked.

"Zander's been hit with a paralysis crystal." "Aerrow's fine but he's not moving, it looks like he's trying to help Zander."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The paralysis crystal was starting to take effect. Zander wondered if he also got hit with a sleeping crystal because besides feeling numb, he also felt drowsy. His knees had gone numb a few moments ago and now he was flat on his stomach, his head resting on the ground, defeated.

He could hear everything happen. He heard Aerrow crying while pulling on his arm trying to help him up, he heard the soldiers getting closer, and he heard his heart break into a million pieces, because he knew there was nothing he could do to protect Aerrow. Tears flooded his vision. No…I will never let that happen!

Zander tried to lift himself off the ground with his arm, but collapsed in a pained heap. He knew that it was impossible to move once a paralysis crystal took complete effect but he didn't care. What he needed to do was get Aerrow to safety. He kept trying, desperately trying to hurry, as the soldiers got closer. His head started to pound, it almost sounded like it was screaming at him "Give up!" over and over.

All of a sudden he heard Darien and the others, they had somehow gotten there before the soldiers did. By then he was on the brink of passing out from pain. He felt Darien carefully turned him on his side.

"Darien…you need to get out of here." "They only want me…not you guys." He heard Darien, Kyle, and Navix suddenly turn around and draw their weapons attacking the first wave of soldiers.

"We're not going anywhere Zander." Celina, the sharpshooter knelt down and waved a healing crystal over his body.

He immediately cried out in pain. She stopped and carefully examined were the crystal energy had hit. "That's barbaric," she suddenly yelled.

"What?" "Why isn't working?" Aerrow's mother asked.

"It's a new crystal that I've heard about." "Its not supposed to be used in weapon's!" "The crystal is a mix of a paralysis crystal and a sleeping crystal- Aerrow's mom interrupted "Will the healing crystal even do anything?'

Celina looked at Aerrow's mom, her face grim. "It will heal everything but…it will be very painful."

"Go ahead and do it anyway," Zander said suddenly.

Celina nodded and slowly started to move the healing crystal up and down along his body.

Zander stiffened as the crystal passed over the spot where the he had been hit. He closed his eyes tight. The pain was immense.

"Just a few seconds more Zander"

Zander's thoughts began to rush through his head a million miles a minute. Something's wrong…

A sudden yell confirmed his fear. He heard Aerrow's mom gasp then scream "Aerrow!"

Celina dropped the healing crystal and engaged a soldier. There was to many of them. They were starting to close in.

Zander suddenly felt a surge of energy. He got up slowly ignoring the pain, pulled out his weapon and activated it. His blade glowed a menacing red, it seemed to amplify his already crimson eyes. He looked around and gasped as his eyes found a sight he had never wanted to see. A few yards away a soldier had a tight grip on Aerrow's arm and was dragging him towards a skimmer.

Zander ran toward them. "Get your hands off of him!" he yelled swinging his blade at the unsuspecting soldier. His blade hit the soldier square in the back, but the blow wasn't severe enough to kill him. The soldier crumpled to the ground unconscious.

Aerrow quickly stepped away from the form and hugged Zander.

"Come on we have to go and help the others." Zander looked around everyone was engaged in battle. As they ran to help the others Zander suddenly became anxious. I know he's here, but I don't know where.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A Raven-haired man watched as the brash young man, they had hit earlier, yelled at one of the soldiers "Get your hands of off him!" He attacked a solider just to save a boy? The man's crimson eyes watched as both the teenager and the boy ran to help the rest of the Storm hawks. Hmm it looks like we finally found a weakness. With this thought he made a new plan. If Zander wasn't going to come willingly then they were just going to have to force him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Zander had taken down about five soldiers when he suddenly heard someone yell, "I would stop now if I were you!" Zander felt his blood run cold at the sound of the voice. He slowly turned around and gasped. A few feet away stood the man that he hated with every fiber of his being…his father. He had Aerrow in the crook of his arm with a sword against his throat. "No" Zander whispered.

The rest of the Storm hawks had taken down what they thought was the last of the soldiers and turned around to see why Zander had suddenly froze. They all stood stunned, not one of them believed what was happening.

"I'm giving you a choice son, come with me or watch them all die," Zander's father mentioned to the Storm hawks. Soldiers had crept up behind them and now had their weapons positioned at their backs. "You're going to have to eventually accept it, you are my son and you will serve Cyclonia…Dark Ace."

"That is not… my name!" Zander yelled bowing his head and letting angry tears run down his face. Zander was devastated, his father always found a way to win. How could it all end like this?

"Come one Zander, give up" his father said tauntingly.

"Za…Zander, don't do it."

Zander looked up and stared at the little redhead. There was a determined look on his face. Zander's grip on his sword tightened. "Never give up," Aerrow whispered.

Zander took a menacing step towards his father, but stopped when he suddenly heard Aerrow yell. He watched in horror as his fathers blade dragged against Aerrow's arm. Dark red blood started to run down his little arm.

"You don't want anything to happen to your little friend, so don't make this more difficult then it needs to be," his father said threateningly, as his blade continued to make a deep gash on Aerrows arm.

"No!" Zander yelled. "I-I'll go with you, just stop!"

His father stopped and said, "You'll go with me and?"

"And I'll…serve Cyclonia" he whispered.

Zander's father let Aerrow go and waited for his son to come with him.

Zander put away his sword and ran towards Aerrow. He knelt down and gently checked his arm.

"Zander you can't go with him!" the little boy cried, tears running down his face.

"I don't have a choice Aerrow, if I don't go things like this will keep happening…and I never want this to happen again."

"Will I ever see you again?" Aerrow asked.

"I don't know."

"Here, this is what I went back for earlier, " Aerrow said as he put something in Zander's hand. Zander looked down at the item. It was a silver Storm hawk emblem on a chain. It was one of Aerrow's favorite possessions.

"Aerrow I can't-"

"I want you to have it, so you can remember me" Aerrow interrupted.

Zander nodded and slipped the chain over his head, the sun glinted off of the silver hawk. He hugged Aerrow and whispered "Thank you." Zander stood up and slowly went and sat on his father's skimmer waiting to be taken away from everything he cared about.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Zander's father stood out of earshot, talking to one of his talons. "After we're gone kill the Storm hawks but leave the boy alive, send him to the Atmosia skyknight academy, they're take care of him."

"Yes sir," the talon saluted then walked to the others to give them the orders.

He watched the talon walk away then turned and looked at his son. Zander was sitting on his skimmer waiting for him, staring emotionlessly at the sky.

By the time he finds out it will be to late.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Zander was sitting in his room staring out the window at the desolate region that was called Cyclonia. He sighed and absently pulled the medallion out of his shirt. He had hidden it because he didn't want anything to happen to it, it was his last memory of his original life. At least it wouldn't be that bad, he had already made three friends. One was a boy who was a year older them him, his name was Snipe. The second was a girl named Ravess, who was the same age as him, the first time he saw her he found that he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Snipe had mocked Zander all evening about that… until Zander knocked him out cold.

The last person he had met was a little girl named Lark, around the age of five. According to Ravess she was the heir to the throne. Lark liked to follow them around, she was a definite tomboy, they found that out when Snipe had called her a girly girl. Lark had looked at him with a sweet little smile. She asked him to bend down so she could tell him a secret. Snipe rolled his eyes but bent down anyway. Lark looked at him with a scowl, "Never call me a girly girl again!" she had shouted before hitting Snipe straight in the face. He fell over and hit the ground with a thud.

Zander and Ravess had stood stunned for a few seconds, their mouths hanging open in shock, before they cracked up laughing. "Nice one!" they both had said at the same time.

All three of his friends felt the same way about Cyclonia. Even Lark had said that it was wrong.

Zander sighed again. He had already made a plan, when he got older and more capable he would put it in to action. Ravess, Snipe, and Lark had all said that they were in. Zander had a feeling that they were all ready for this war to end.

He looked at the sky with a smirk, one day Cyclonia would fall, and his friends and him would be the cause of it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx