Storm Hawks and its Characters are the property of Nerd Corps. Kidding, it belongs to me…(in my dreams…)
My first Storm Hawks fic. Its set in a world called Atmos but it is more like Earth. They still use crystals, Skimmers and Air Ships, Terra's, Squadrons and Sky Knights also exist but that's basically it. Follows Piper as she is sent to a boarding school after her mother died. I'm trying to keep as many cannon characters as possible, but some characters won't show up much so they will just be made up. Pairings are AxP, and if I continue this story there may be some Finn x Piper, and some Aerrow x Dove. Also further along the track some Harrier x Starling and Cyclonis x Dark Ace
I already have the whole story planned out, but I might not do it all, because if no-one likes it, I might not continue. So, if people could tell me what they think, that would be great. Reminding you it's my first fic! And the characters might not act the same as they do in the show, and they might seem very 'Earthling-like', wearing human clothes and doing human stuff. And they are all teenagers! Aged somewhere between 14 and 16. So they might seem a little giggly and out of character. Just letting you know. So tell me what you think please!
~ In The Beginning
The air ship jolted to a stop in the school's parking bay. "Dad," i whispered, nervously fiddling with my hands "are you sure about this?" I glanced in the ships window and caught my reflection. My chocolate colored skin was slightly pale. "You're gonna be fine, Piper. You were great at your old school!" Dad turned in his seat to look at me. He reached up and swiped my midnight-blue bangs out of my eyes.
I waved my hand toward the window. "This is not the same," i said, "I'll be lucky to make the beginner team here."
"You're an excellent mage," Dad said, getting to his feet. "Don't even talk like that."
Parents are required to say stuff like that so they don't ruin their kid's self esteem. They think we don't know.
I tried one of those deep-breathing exercises I'd seen on TV once. In May, when the acceptance letter had come from my new school, i really couldn't care less. Since mom died, Dad has been moping about, hardly finding time for me. He was a mess, but i was never close to my mom, so i didn't really care that she died. But then he had enrolled me in one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the entire Atmos! Atmosia's Helix Academy is known for producing top Sky Knights and world-class Crystal Mages.
In an academy, you can either do the Sky Knight side-class, or the Crystal Mage Side-class ( each group has mixed genders) on top of normal classes. Each academy around Atmos is named after extremely rare or important crystals. Helix Academy is named after the oh-mi-gosh-so-rare-its-almost-nonexistent Helix Crystal. Only stories and Legends are there as proof they exist, as none had ever been found. So this place is huge. What am i doing here again?
The thought of switching my small public school for a massive campus school is enough to give me stress for the rest of my life. But i had to admit, it felt good getting away from that school. I had no friends there, even though i was a better mage then all of them. Deep down, i was hoping i'd make real friends here. Breath in, and then out. In, out.
All right, Piper," Dad said. "Let's go."
Reluctantly, i followed him out the ship, and i took in the scene around me. Everything looked so much different, bigger, than my old school. Beautiful stone buildings and lush trees, with not one dead leaf to be found. And, best of all, i spotted a gorgeous, crystal barn ahead in the distance. My kind of place.
"Smile! Say hi to daddy, honey." Dad said, shoving his camera in my face. "This is Piper's first day of ninth grade. Wave to the camera Piper."
"Dad!" I hissed. Was he trying to kill me with embarrassment? I reverted to my deep-breathing. In, out. In, out.
He beamed. "Piper's first day of boarding school. I remember when-"
Oh, my god. "Dad! Stop filming!" I slammed my palm over the lens. "Not. Now."
"Oh." Dad lowered the camera and switched off the blinking red light. "Sorry."
He took out the instruction sheet for students coming to school with their own crystals. "It says to unload your crystals here," Dad said. "And follow the signs to the Crystal Barn area."
At least there were signs, since I probably wouldn't remember the way after five months.
Dad put away the sheet and helped me unload my crystals. I had brought practically everything I had; four Windstones, two Chroma Crystals, a Solaris Crystal, three Yellow Stryker Crystals and two Firebolts. I once was lucky enough to own a Phoenix Crystal, but I accidently burnt my dad's skimmer to a crisp, so he threw it off the Terra. So I don't have much, but I'm hoping to gain more.
I picked up one of my un-stable Firebolts. "Please behave," I whispered to it. And that's where you can call me crazy. I sometimes talk to my crystals, like they are real. I don't know why I do it, I just do.
We managed to fit all my crystals into one crate. "I'm gonna go get your things from the Ship and I'll find you later in the barn when I'm done," Dad said.
"You're leaving me alone?"
"Oh, honey," He said, squeezing my shoulder gently. "You'll be fine. And I'll be right back."
"Promise?" I asked.
He nodded. "Promise."
My slick hands could barley grip the crates handles. Deep breath in, deep breath out. I started forward and followed a sign that read Crystal Barn/Lab. I saw other signs that pointed students to training grounds and meeting halls. As I approached the barn, I could (somehow) smell freshly polished Crystals and that familiar smell you get when you grind two crystals together.
Wow, Helix is even more gorgeous than I'd ever imagined, I thought, surveying the gleaming school grounds. The grass looked as if someone had cut it with fingernail clippers. So precise. There wasn't a trace of crystal dust or a leaf out of place. Even the stones around the bushes looked polished.
This made my old school seem like a doll-house. This place is so serious and professional, and I'm only a wimpy small-town girl. What the hell am I doing here, this place is insane. I can feel my hands getting sweaty again.
Too sweaty. I started losing my grip on the crate. I was so busy trying to regain my grip, that I stopped watching where I was going. The dip in the path I didn't see until it was too late. I tripped heavily, the crate falling onto the ground. My crystals poured out, and one Firebolt rolled away. Most Firebolts are egg-shaped, but this particular one is like a ball. It just kept rolling. I made a frantic grab for it, but it was already out of my reach.
Oh, my god! This couldn't be happening! I could see the crystal gathering speed as it went down a small hill. If that crystal hit a hard surface at that speed, it will blow up! I raced after it. "Nooo!" I yelled.
It rolled through a group of students and continued toward the training arenas. "Watch it!" I screamed at anyone it raced past. Oh no, the arena it just swept under the fence of wasn't empty. A girl about my age with dark hair was standing in the centre with a metal staff in one hand, and a purple Stryker crystal in the other. She hadn't noticed a thing.
"Watch out!" I yelled to the girl. If she heard me, she didn't show it.
She rested the tip of the staff on the ground, so she could put the crystal into the hilt. Of course, my Firebolt just had to slam right into it. I could only stare as a bright light erupted from the Firebolt, and vicious waves of energy wound its way up the staff and into the girl. She screamed and fell to the ground.
Oh. My. God.
This was my worst nightmare.
"OMIGOSH!" I ran to the girl, where she still hadn't moved. "Oh, my god. Are you okay?" I asked.
"Where's my crystal?" the girl asked, her voice surprisingly strong for someone who had just been struck by a Firebolt.
"Right over there," I pointed. "it looks okay." I said. The girl struggled to sit up.
"Wait," I said. "Should you sit up?"
The girl wiped dirt from her eyes.
"What can I do?" I asked.
"Just help me take off my gloves."
My trembling fingers pulled her gloves slowly off. "I'm so, so sorry. Please let me go get help." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark-haired girl (not the same one, obviously) duck under the fence and grab the purple Stryker.
"Ayrgyn is on' 'is way, Cyclonis," she said, coming over to where we sat.
"Thanks, Dove," the girl – Cyclonis – said.
"Did you 'urt any 'ting?" Dove asked.
Cyclonis wriggled the fingers on her left hand. "This arm."
"Is Cyclonis's crystal okay?" I asked Dove.
Dove's pale blue eyes flickered over Cyclonis and then toward me. She felt the sides of the crystal. "I don't feel any chips or cuts. Lucky, it's pretty hard to find a purple Stryker crystal these days."
"Thank God," Cyclonis moaned. "I have a tournament in a month."
A tall man with green and purple spikey hair strode over. I recognized him immediately from my brochure: Ayrgyn, my crystal instructor. And he didn't seem happy.
"So, what happened?" he asked, kneeling down to check on Cyclonis.
"I tripped while I was taking my crystals to the lab," I confessed, my voice shaky. "a Firebolt got away from me and jolted Cyclonis."
"Who are you?" Ayrgyn asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Piper. I'm new this year." I wondered if I would set a school record by getting expelled on my first day.
Ayrgyn felt Cyclonis's arm from her shoulder to her fingers. "Nothing feels broken. But let's go get you to the nurse, Cyclonis, just to make sure."
Cyclonis clutched her right arm. "It hurts, Ayrgyn."
Ayrgyn motioned to Dove. "Dove, please take Cyclonis's crystal and staff back to the lab, make sure you clean it and check for any damage."
"Yes, Sir" Dove said. "I saw what 'appened. It really was an accident."
I mouthed a silent thank you to Dove and she smiled in return before walking out of the area.
"I'm feeling kind of dizzy," Cyclonis said. "Could I sit for one more second?"
"Of course," Ayrgyn said, kneeling beside her. "Take a few deep breaths."
What if she had a head trauma? Or a heart attack? How could I tell Dad that in the ten minutes he left me alone, this happened? No way would deep-breathing be enough to calm him down if I got expelled in my first ten minutes at Helix.
"Were you not taught how to handle a crystal?" Ayrgyn asked. "you're not here to learn the basics."
I couldn't believe this! first days were for good impressions. I had been practicing harder than ever lately. I'd worked all summer on form and control – sometimes thirty hours a week.
"It happened so fast," I said. " I wasn't able to stop it."
Ayrgyn helped Cyclonis to her feet. When they started walking, I noticed she wasn't clutching her arm anymore.
"I expect you to be on your best behaviour for the rest of the week, Miss Piper." Ayrgyn called back over his shoulder.
I exhaled slowly, before making my way back to my crate. I re-gathered my crystals and started for the lab again. I approached the lab entrance when a girl with curly hair asked, "New student, right?"
I nodded. "I'm Piper."
"I'm Nella," the girl said. She glanced at my Firebolt. "don't worry about it," she whispered. "No one will remember this tomorrow."
"Do you know where I should take my crystals?" I asked.
"I'll show you," Nella said. I followed her into the lab.
I tried not to compare the lab of Helix to the lab of my old school – it felt disloyal. But this place was sooo nicee! The aisles were wide, the crystal lockers were enormous, and I almost did a double-take when I saw 'Piper" on the gleaming gold nameplate on the locker door.
"I've got to go practice," Nella said. "But I'll see you later."
It's okay, I thought, I can do this. I placed all my crystals in my locker and then shut it.
"Piper?" Dad called from behind me. "Wow! This is such a nice space for your crystals."
"I know, isn't it incredible?" I asked.
Dad glanced at me sideways. "You look upset. Everything okay?"
If I was going to survive this, I couldn't be crying to my dad about every little thing. "Everything is fine. I'm just excited to see the dorms."
"Let's go, then!" Dad said.
So, what do you guys think? Should I continue? Or just stop? Reviews would be amazing, if you could just tell me your thoughts. It is my first fic, and im not really much of a writer, I just wanted to have a crack at it.
Good or bad reviews, thanks guys :)
~ LouiLuvr