Chapter 1: Enemy of the Enemies
In the sky, white clouds stroll around, sunlight streaming on the world of Atmos. Down below, fog covers the volcanic land everyone calls the Wastelands. Some of the rocky outcroppings reach above the dense fog, which many inhabitants establish homes. One part, where nothing but red clouds covers the rocks, a fortress stands on top of everything else, where the ultimate crystal master lives.
Cyclonis, the empress of Cyclonia, is a young, pale girl with deep violet eyes, thick eyeliner around them, jet-black hair that reaches her shoulders. Her clothing consists of black and purple colors, spines growing down and up her neck, the top forming to a hood, and a cloak that trails on the floor. In her usual laboratory, she types on the keys, which control each arm on her machine. But soon, she stops, taking a frustrated breathe. "I need a break."
She heads out of the room and walks down the dark red hallways, her cape billowing behind. Her Talon soldiers salute as she passes, but the empress doesn't pay much heed to them. She has a lot on her mind. Soon, without realizing it, Cyclonis finds herself outside, staring out to the land. Instead of the usual plans of taking over, her mind tries to break through the wall of her past, for the trillionth time in her life. But still nothing. Just the same, vague picture of someone. Familiar, but a stranger. Frustrated, Cyclonis swings an arm, accidently knocking a Talon back a few feet. Why can't I remember anything! All I remember is my grandmother and this mysterious person in my head!
All of a sudden, her mind breaks, and she gasps as the person gets a clearer image. The being gets some detail, showing that the person is a guy. On his head is flaming red hair, and masculine. But stops right there. Okay, so it's a boy. But still, who is he? My father, cousin, young boyfriend?
She feels something in her core and mind. A sense that Cyclonis only gets when something really, really bad is coming. To her, that's not often.
The teen frantically searches the sky, the sense getting worse each minute.
"Master."
Dark Ace walks up to Cyclonis, curious. He's a veteran Talon, with spiky hair underneath a metal helmet, dark brown eyes, and dark red clothing with metal armor. A metal brace is wrapped around his left arm, which was weakened from a past battle, to help him support. "Is there something wrong?"
The empress still continues seeks for the uneasiness, not answering his question. Later, Cyclonis says, "I don't know."
The veteran raises an eyebrow, then looks up to the sky as well. "Something in the sky?"
"That's the question. Maybe I'm just a little edgy, today."
Suddenly, everything grows eerie silent, confusing everyone in Cyclonia. Dark Ace grips the handle of his sword, feeling the tension building. Cyclonis looks straight up, and all the color in her skin she had left drains away.
Above the whole terra, the sky part as dark clouds creates a hole, showing nothing but shadow. The clouds spread across the land until only the lights from Cyclonia keep them from being blind. Ravess and Snipe, Commanders of Talons, run up to their empress, worry on their faces. Ravess is a tall woman with magenta spiky hair, yellow eyes, and a stern face. Snipe, Ravess' younger brother, is a tall brute with shadow-black hair, black eyes, and not too bright.
"Master, what's happening?" the sharpshooter asked.
"Why the sky turns black?" asked Snipe stupidly.
The empress turns to them and orders, "I want you and your squadron ready for battle. Now!"
They salute and run back inside. Cyclonis looks back and sees dark beings falling down the hole, some having wings, others on skimmer-like vehicles. The sirens yell and everyone rushes to their positions. Soon, the air is full of Talon skimmers, all weapons aimed at the newcomers. Ravess, at the front of the first wave, nocks an arrow, aim at the closest shadowman. Snipe, already edgy about the fight, circles in the back, readying the second wave. Anxiety grows to a breaking point, when the shadows attack. Before the Talons know what hit them, the first wave is quickly defeated. Cyclonis' eyes widen as she watches, not how fast her army was destroyed, but how they were.
The shadows shot through the air like lightning, quickly knocking the spears down. The Talons widen their eyes, when the shadows stretched and bit their neck, fangs growing. In a second, their skin shrivels until there's nothing but bone and grey skin, shocked faces permanently on their faces. Ravess is the only one surviving, but is soon surrounded. "Oh, this isn't good."
Five shadow beings shoot from all around, but the sharpshooter jumps off her ride and knocks a being off his. She flies the black skimmer away, and Cyclonis yells, "Second wave, attack!"
Snipe laughs hysterically and his army charges. This wave lasts longer than the first, but is rapidly losing men. "This isn't good." The empress said. "Dark Ace, I need you to-" her sentence is cut short when someone punches her in the air. After crashing on the metallic wall, she looks up, despite the pain, and sees Dark Ace smirking. "Sorry, Cyclonis, but now it's time for the true leaders to take charge."
"What…what do you mean?"
"Ha ha. You really think I was at your every command, Cyclonis?"
"Tell me what is happening right now, Dark Ace!"
"Are you that blind? I've been planning this assault ever since the great battle. You see, when I found you, I knew you are the perfect key to conquer the Atmos. So I planted the story that you were the descendant of the great leaders of Cyclonia. I couldn't believe how easily fooled you were. And I thought Snipe was stupid."
"Hey!"
"You mean, all this time, I was lied?" she gasped, sneaking a crystal behind her back.
"Yes, silly girl. But now, my plan comes to action. Your Cyclonia reign comes to an end, and the age of Shaders begins, Master." The veteran raises his red glowing sword, but Cyclonis throws her stone, which turns out to be a cloud crystal. It explodes, sending a dense, red fog, and she runs back inside the castle. Dark Ace walks through the cloud just in time to see the door close. "You really think you can escape me? Your time is done."
Cyclonis runs through the many hallways, not believing what she heard. I was never a descendant of Cyclonia? How can this be? Her mind cracks again, and a different image appears. A woman stands out, her blonde hair waving in invisible wind, bright violet eyes showing kindness upon imaginary. Cyclonis stops running, realizing who it is. "Mom."
A sword digs into the wall beside her head, snapping her back to reality. She gasps, and continues running toward the hangars. Dark Ace chuckles, saying, "Might just quit now, Cyclonis. You won't last long here!"
"We'll see about that." She stops, opens a door, and grabs her staff. The used-to-be empress dashes again, and turns toward a door. After she enters, the teen finds herself in the hangar, but with company. Shadowmen surround the hangar, their red eyes staring at her. Cyclonis aims her staff at them, wondering which one is the leader. A chuckle sounds, and the shadows split to let Dark Ace in. "I told you. Might just quit now. If you surrender calmly, I'll let you live."
"I'm not going down without a fight." she said, throwing her cape to reveal her slim figure. Cyclonis activates her staff, her crystal glowing. "Come and get some." she whispered, a second voice behind her usual.
Dark Ace's smirk vanishes, and activates his sword. "Suit yourself."
The shadows back up, creating space for the fighters. They get in a ready position, walking in a circle. Minutes pass until someone makes the first move. Dark Ace runs and swings forward, but the teen blocks and shoots a beam. The purple ray pushes the veteran back, but Dark Ace quickly shakes it off and strikes again. This time, all Cyclonis could do is block. The wall rapidly draws near, until the empress' back is against it. Dark Ace feints to the right, then strikes above, sending the staff flying. He kicks the teen, and she grunts on impact of the metal. She looks up to see a sword pointed at her. "Any last words, Cyclonis?" Dark Ace asked.
"I might fall, but there's still Ravess and Snipe, and when they work together, nothing can stop them." The teen said, a large inferno sparking in her eyes. The veteran chuckles. "Those two idiots? By now, they would have already fallen by my shader army. You have no one for help. Don't worry; I'll give you a quick death. But first, a little fun." He grabs Cyclonis by the neck and throws her into a row of skimmers, knocking like dominoes. The empress slowly gets up, but is punched into a shack. Cyclonis spots a pipe, so she grabs it and throws the metal part at the double traitor. Dark Ace slices it in half and swipes, slashing across her once pretty face. Blood spreads across her face, but she ignores it. Instead, the teen swings her legs, tripping the veteran. Cyclonis makes a dash for the exit, but something flies in the air and strikes across her back. She gasps as shocking pain spreads across her body, and she leans on the wall for support. The teen turns her head, but is kicked into a large pipe. A piece of it falls, and crashes on Cyclonis's leg. She shrieks as screaming pain spreads all up her leg. I've never felt such pain before. Does this ever end?
Someone grabs her neck and lifts her up, her legs dangling. For the first time, fear is seen in her eyes, as the inevitable stares at her. He grins and throws her in the air, then bats her with the red sword, slashing a cut on her arm. Cyclonis lands at the edge of the launch pad, and tries to get up, but collapses, too weak to move. Dark Ace walks up to her, the army behind him, and aims his sword at her head. "I would let you live until the Storm Hawks come, so they can see your demise, but I have a schedule to keep. So goodbye. To everything."
Raising his sword, he prepares to make the fatal strike, when he hears a clinking noise. Dark Ace turns around and spots a spherical machine amongst the feet of shadows. His eyes widen as he recognizes the crystals sticking out of the machine. He jumps away just as the bomb detonates, spreading white inferno and light everywhere. The veteran raises his head and sees a gaping hole in his army, the shadows disintegrated. "How-"
The shadowmen immediately react and start looking around, only to find fifty more shadows destroyed. Dark Ace snarls and quickly gets up, swinging his sword again at the black head, only to be blocked by a white blade. "Huh?"
He follows the glowing blade to find a hand, an arm, then a body. On top is a head with a mask covering his eyes. What surprises Dark Ace is the boy looks young. "No you don't."
The veteran growls and was about to attack when the boy kicks him halfway in the hangar. Cyclonis watches in amazement, and pants, "Who are…you?" just before fainting.
"Right now, your guardian angel." He ducks as a red flash flies over his head, and gives a kick in the stomach. Dark Ace backs up and says, "What's the point, kid? Without a ride, you're stuck here. So give up."
"If I don't have a ride, then how would you explain how I got into Cyclonia in the first place?"
"Touché. But you'll still have to get past my army." Shadows appear behind the veteran, and surrounding the two teens.
Dark Ace laughs and says, "This is the part where you quake in your boots."
Instead of quaking, the boy smiles, showing a gold tooth. "I don't quake easily, Dark Ace. As a matter of fact, I was expecting the surrounding move."
The veteran raises in eyebrow. The teen reaches for his wrist and presses a button, and a laser blasts several shadowmen to oblivion. A skimmer parks at the edge, and the teen carries Cyclonis and jumps on the bike. "So long, Dark Ace."
After making sure Cyclonis is safely on his lap, the teen swerves around and shoots away. Dark Ace growls and slices a shadow apart, and yells, "After them!"
Shadows fly after the escapee, quickly surrounding the teen. "Oh. It looks like I'm surrounded." he said sarcastically. The teen grins and takes out a red-orange rock from a secret container. He puts it in the crystal slot, and the engine screams as new fuel is inserted. The skimmer shoots through the air, burning some shadows.
Dark Ace watches the two teens fly out of Cyclonia, anger boiling inside. "You may have escaped, Cyclonis, but your doom is certain. And your little bodyguard, too."
He turns to a shadow, wearing a grey cape around his neck, and says, "Cyclonia belongs to you now. Rule it however you want, but you're still under my command, got it?"
"Yes master." It hissed. The leader walks back inside, followed by its men and Dark Ace smirks. "Master. I could get used to that."
