Author's Notes: this is the story of a video of mine I've made for Valentine's Days.

Here's the link (remove spaces and extra dots): www . youtube . com ./. watch?v=3vUOhsXdd0w

So, I've had to remove the lyrics from the story, but these websites have the original version with the lyrics on it, and some even have the video there ready to watch (remove spaces and extra dots):

DA: 123leyang321 . deviantart . com ./. art/Video-Aerrow-and-Piper-Beautiful-Soul-513535372

AO3: archiveofourown . org ./. works/13668864

WP: www . wattpad . com ./. 169009960-beautiful-soul

QT: www . quotev . com ./. story/10692063/Video-Beautiful-Soul

Enjoy!

Beautiful Soul

A deep fog was all that could be seen, then from the smoke came faint voices and a face. A female face, Caucasian, short spiky lilac hair, blue eyes. Then the rest of the memory unfolded. The girl was very excited, she clenched her fists in front of her heart.

"Yes! Of course, I will!" - she shouted happily.

And no wonder why was she so happy, the famous son of Lightning Strike and top Sky Knight in training of the academy, Aerrow, was asking her out.

But months had passed, and all the boy ended up receiving from her was disappointment. The girl didn't like him for who he was, she wanted to be with him because of his fame. And that's how everything ended with Lynn, Aerrow's very first girlfriend.

The fog took over again, just to reveal another memory. A girl, white skin, brown hair, and blue eyes, her name was Dove. Aerrow had met her on Terra Gale a while after he had become a Sky Knight. Another happy girl that accepted being with him without a second thought.

And for what? She was just as shallow as his first girlfriend, so they didn't last for too long. Within a few months, it was all over.

Once more the fog filled everything then revealed one more memory. Another girl, Caucasian, purple hair and green eyes. After Aerrow became a Sky Knight, he soon came to be the heir of Lightning Strike, therefore, he was turned into the new leader of the Storm Hawks. And during a few missions, he met a fellow Sky Knight, Starling.

Since she was also a Sky Knight, he had expected to have a better chance of a lasting relationship. Well, he was wrong. Even though she was a Sky Knight, dating the most famous hero in the Atmos boosted her status. It was useless, she was just as shallow as the other two before her. So everything ended there.

Years later, Aerrow stayed all alone. It was better that way, he could focus on his Sky Knight duties and all. Besides, love was for fools anyway, right? He didn't need anyone, he was doing fine on his own. Why give in to that again?

Aerrow woke up feeling empty. Just like he had been feeling in the last weeks. He needed someone… He sat on his bed and picked his clock up, staring at it with a frown. Then he tossed it away and placed a hand on his forehead, sighing deeply.

"I can't just live like that my whole life. That's foolish." - he shook his head, then clenched his hand into a fist - "It's time I move on and try out a fresh start."

He got up from his bed, dressed in his armor and packed a few things, then exited the room. He went to the bridge to warn his crew that he was going to take a break for a while, just a few weeks, then headed for the hangar, climbed on his skimmer and took off, along with his inseparable co-pilot, Radarr.

He flew towards a peaceful Terra, Terra Tranqua. That Terra had no Sky Knights and it was far away from the bigger and more populated Terras, so the people from there probably wouldn't have heard of him, which was a good thing. As the small Terra was in his sight, he could observe it.

"Yeah, it seems to be small, not that many people live in here. It should do, huh, Radarr?" - he said to his pal, who chirped and nodded in agreement, and as he got closer and closer, though very slowly, his anxiety built up inside him - "I can't wait to get there! I wish these skyrides weren't so slow…" - he rolled his eyes.

"Having speed issues with your skimmer?" - a voice said, making him turn around - "If you allow me, I believe I can help you with that."

It was a girl, she had dark skin, midnight blue hair, and orange eyes. She flew around him, and he followed her with his eyes, wondering what was she going on about. She pulled out an energy staff, then picked up a crystal from its tip, winking at him. He smiled as he looked at the velocity crystal in her hand. So she was into crystals, huh? And that colorful crystal there would do the trick just fine, alright.

"Yeah, you know your stuff." - he commented as she handed him the crystal, then pulled another one out for herself.

Both used the crystals to fly very fast towards the Terra. Soon they had landed there, and Aerrow had a quick look around.

"Do you know where the council from this Terra is?" - he asked the girl.

"Sure. Follow me." - she said as she led him - "You definitely look like you're not from this little quiet Terra. What's your business here? If you don't mind me asking."

"Uh… I heard this Terra didn't have a Sky Knight, so I was wondering if the council was interested in one." - he told her.

"Wow, a Sky Knight in here? Now that's something new. What would you call your squadron if you had one right now?" - she was curious.

"That's… A good question. Let me see…" - he said in thought - "Hm… How about Thunder Harpies?"

The girl giggled.

"That's a very intimidating name, this Terra won't make it justice." - she said - "One would imagine a squadron from here would be called The Fluffy Cloud Knights."

At that, Aerrow couldn't hold his laughter, and she laughed along. That girl had a really good sense of humor, not only that, she also seemed to be very smart and observant. He was actually surprised she hadn't figured out who he was yet. Maybe the Terra really was quite isolated from the others, so that was his luck.

The two arrived at the council. In there, the girl managed to get an audience to get Aerrow his citizen registry so he could become their Sky Knight.

"I see everything is properly filed here." - the old man, head of the council, spoke - "All you need to do is sign in here." - he offered his pen.

The red-haired boy walked to him and signed the registry.

"Welcome to Terra Tranqua." - the girl said to him.

He smiled at her, then exchanged glances with Radarr, who grinned at him.

Soon, they were all outside, walking to nowhere in particular.

"Ah, hey, I think I didn't catch your name yet." - he said to her.

"Oh, my bad, I haven't introduced myself. My name's Piper." - she greeted him.

"I'm Aerrow, and this is my partner, Radarr." - the boy said nodding at the little animal.

"You two are inseparable, huh?" - the girl commented.

"Yeah… We've known each other since I was little." - he told her - "I had found him severely injured and helped him out. We've been best friends ever since."

"That's great. It's rare to find longtime friends like this nowadays." - Piper said - "So, where are you going to settle at? Do you need any help?"

"I haven't really decided about that yet. Do you know any good places?"

"Sure. There's a nice inn not too far from my lab, I can take you there. And maybe show you around on the way so you won't be lost." - she kindly offered to be his "tour guide".

The Sky Knight smiled. The people from that Terra were so welcoming and kind. And this girl was being so helpful. He was certain he'd have a really nice stay in that place. During the rest of the day he learned about the market, the amazing bakery right beside the inn that made the most delicious cupcakes he had ever had the pleasure to eat, the square, the gallery, the small bank and Piper's crystal lab, which was also where she lived.

Soon it was already night and they parted ways. As Aerrow slept, he somehow felt very excited about the day after and about seeing Piper again.

The next day, they met again in the morning. Piper had a few errands to do so she took the chance to show him around some new places. They drove all around the Terra, stopping by the market to get some supplies. As they walked, they also chat a little and began knowing a little more about each other. Once they had everything she needed, they proceeded to walk back to her lab.

"So is this your routine every morning?" - he asked her.

"Mostly, yes. Especially if I have more demands than normal. Then I sometimes have to reserve a whole day just to deliver everything." - she told him.

"That sounds a little tiresome."

"Yeah, but I enjoy doing that, so even though I sometimes get a little worn out, I feel glad for having this job." - she shrugged.

"You seem to have found your dream job, huh?" - he commented.

But before she could say anything in response, their attention was drawn towards a crowded area in the square nearby. It was rare for a crowd to gather up like that, so something was going on. They approached the crowd a little, and that's when Aerrow saw what he least expected to be there: the media.

"Oh my…! Look who's here!" - a reporter shouted upon seeing him, making everyone stared at him - "It's Aerrow, the Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks!"

The red-haired boy blinked disturbed, while Piper was surprised. The cameraman focused on him and the reporter pretty much shoved the microphone in his face, asking for an interview right then and there.

"H-huh? How did you find me here? I was…" - the young Sky Knight trailed off.

He was about to admit he was trying to hide from them in front of the camera, and that would make his fans sad. Not that he cared about the fame he had, he just didn't want to disappoint the people that, well, possibly liked him, after all, they had to be his fans for a reason, right?

Then he felt a little agonized and briefly looked at Piper. That was just great, he had been trying so hard to hide the fact he was a celebrity, now she knew who he was and that he had been lying to her! But when he saw her expression, his tormented frown turned into an astonished blank face. She was smiling the exact same way as normally!

"I had no idea you were a worldwide famous celebrity." - she said amused.

And to his surprise, she didn't seem to care at all about that. He barely had time to let that sink in when tons of flashes coming from the cameras nearly blinded him, and the cameraman adjusted his focus expectantly. He just stood there not knowing what to do, until he saw Piper address him again.

"Well, guess I should leave you to do your business with the media. If you want you can pass by my lab later." - she shrugged then left the scene.

Aerrow stared at her speechless. She… She hadn't changed… She hadn't changed! That girl now knew who he really was and didn't care about that! She was different! She was different! He just had to get to know her better.

And he had to get her to know him as well. He was certain she would see him for who he was, not for his fame, status or popularity. As he let the feeling flow inside him, he smiled for the cameras, since he did kind of owe that to the fans, though his mind was somewhere else completely. He now thought about his old experiences.

All the other girls he had been with were selfish, egocentric and shallow. But Piper… She was on a whole different level.

She was kind, honest, empathic, smart. And she was able to see past a person's outer shell, and know that it was what is inside that actually matters.

He felt strange. A gut feeling was telling him to go beyond what he was considering initially. Maybe… Maybe she was the person he had been looking for. Everything was showing him that she was the only true female friend he ever had. And it was so quick to become a good friend of hers. They had only spent about one day and a half together and managed to bond so well. He couldn't let her slip away. Not without at least trying.

Later that day, Aerrow went to Piper's lab. She was working on a crystal, attempting to stabilize it. She was wearing goggles and used a burner on the purple crystal sitting on a stand, making sparks come out of it. Once she was happy with its reaction, she pulled her goggles up and stared at the crystal.

But then she heard a loud thud and the ground shook, making the crystal fly up in the air. After having it bounce off her hand a few times she managed to catch it without a single scratch. She stared behind her, towards where the noise had come from, and there stood Aerrow, looking startled at whatever he had accidentally knocked over. Then he stared at her, looking like a deer caught in red light, then smiled sheepishly. The girl could only shake her head and smile at his clumsiness.

She led him to the small office in her lab and sat on a bench near a desk, working on a few things as he followed her.

"Make yourself at home." - she said invitingly, but he just stood by the door.

"Thanks. Uh… Sorry if I disturbed you." - he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, it's alright, really." - she assured him - "How did your day go? Did you get to give many autographs?"

"Ah… Yeah, I signed a few things. But… Uh…" - he tried to find a way to say what he had been meaning to say.

"What is it, Aerrow?" - she asked him.

"Well… I was wondering… If you… If you'd like to… Go out and… Have dinner… With… Me… Tonight?" - he trailed off and stuttered a lot more than what he thought he would.

That came out so awkward! No way was she going to… But surprisingly, she laughed warmly. Apparently, she seemed to have liked the idea of going out with him. She stood up and walked out of the room, giggling a little, then flashed him a smile.

"That sounds great. Let me just pack my stuff around here and lock all the rooms, then we're set." - she said as she walked down the corridor.

Aerrow smiled as his eyes followed her. She had accepted his invite! Now was his chance. He couldn't mess that up. Soon, Piper was done, and both of them walked to their rides. They drove towards the square and stopped by there. They walked around, looking for somewhere they could have dinner at.

"So… What kind of place did you have in mind?" - Piper asked him.

"The best place we can find around here." - he said to her - "And don't worry about expending too much, I got it all covered."

She stared at him with a blank expression for a second, then smiled at him. He could see she was genuinely glad for that, and she showed she gave it a thought, considering he was the one offering to pay everything, she didn't want to take advantage of him, nor anything, she just wanted to spend some quality time with him.

He thought about the fact that the other girls he had met before were... Expensive. Always hinting that they expected gifts from him since he was… Well… Kind of rich. He never minded giving them presents, though. But still… They never cared about the love and care he gave them along with the gifts… And that hurt.

But Piper was the very opposite of that. She valued every little thing like anything was a treasure. She knew where the true beauty of giving gifts was. In the fact that the person giving the present wanted to make the one receiving it happy. And that fact alone should make anyone flattered when receiving a gift, no matter what kind of gift. Having someone that cares for you nearby was a blessing.

Aerrow couldn't stop thinking about how amazing a person Piper was. She was simply beautiful, both on the inside and outside. She radiated her positive energy into him with every caring glance, smile, giggle and touch. She just had to be the one he was looking for. He hoped for it, and with every passing second, he couldn't help but grow more and more fond of her. Yep, he was definitely falling for her.

The two walked for a little while until they came across a poster about a fancy restaurant that had recently been inaugurated in the square. They went to the address informed in the poster and had a pleasant surprise. It was indeed a fancy place with all the neon drawing a lot of attention to it. The Sky Knight grinned invitingly at her, and she smiled a little bit shyly but agreeing with the idea of going there.

They entered the place, asking for a table for two, plus a small bench for Radarr, who had accompanied them there. They settled in there and soon were served with a very tasty looking turkey. The little animal jumped on the table, grabbing one of the legs of the turkey and pulled it with all his might. It snapped off the turkey, causing him to fly off the table and on the ground.

Piper looked at him with an amused and worried face. At the end of the table, Radarr stood up with his arm up high, holding the leg triumphantly. The girl giggled at him. He was so hilarious! Seeing that, Aerrow felt more comfortable than ever around her. None of the girls he had ever met liked when Radarr behaved that way. They'd always scold Aerrow for not taming his "pet". But Piper was taking his antics much more lightly, she actually enjoyed that, and the little guy himself felt like impressing her.

"Radarr… Amusing as always. You just can't get enough of him, can you?" - he commented.

The girl looked at him and shrugged, smiling shyly in agreement. The little guy could be a mess, but what are you gonna do, huh? At least he was funny and was great at breaking the ice.

Soon, they were outside again, walking around, talking, laughing and watching the beautiful starry night sky, then later went back to Piper's lab.

"That was awesome!" - Aerrow said as they stood by the front door - "I can't believe it's this late already. I didn't even notice the time passing by."

"Yeah. Thank you for inviting me to dinner." - she smiled warmly - "I really enjoyed hanging out with you tonight. It was a pleasure."

"Pleasure's all mine." - he said instantly, which made him blink and retreat a little awkwardly.

He couldn't act like that in front of her! But she didn't seem to mind that.

"We could do this again another time if you're up for it." - she suggested.

His eyes widened a bit. Did she… Did she just say she wanted to go out with him again?

"O-Of course! Why not?" - he said hastily.

Why not? Why not?! There couldn't have been something worse to say than that! He slapped himself in his mind. But to his surprise, Piper smiled even more!

"Then let's discuss that tomorrow." - she said - "Good night, Aerrow."

She waved briefly, then entered her lab and locked the door behind her. The Sky Knight just stood there for a moment, still stunned from what had just happened. He didn't even get the chance to at least reply to her "good night". His brain didn't allow him to think, just to feel. He was completely numb, he didn't pay attention to anything, all he could grasp was the sensation of being light as a feather as if he were floating in the air. He stared at the ground. Yeah, tomorrow sounded great.

The day after, Aerrow went to Piper's lab again. Once he walked by the automatic switch door to her office, it opened, revealing her. His eyes widened in a pleasant surprise. She was by the round table in the middle of the room, checking out some lab reports and maps. Behind her was a phonograph playing an upbeat song. She bounced on her knees and nodded along with the music, like her own little dance.

He stared at her, very fond of the scene in front of him. He sighed, a feeling of yearning consumed him. The sound of his breath being exhaled drew Piper's attention, making her look at him.

"Hi, Aerrow. Sorry, I didn't notice you there, I was caught up in the music." - she shrugged sheepishly - "It's my favorite song." - she told him as she walked up to him - "Come in, I'll make us some juice."

He entered the room and sat on the bench as the girl walked out of the office. Within a minute she was back carrying a tray in her hands with two glasses of fresh juice. She offered him the tray, and he took the glass gratefully.

"Thank you… Piper." - he was trying to figure out what to say in his mind - "Ah…"

"Yes?" - she prompted him to continue as she picked up a glass for herself and took a seat beside him.

"I was wondering… About what you said last night." - he began.

"You mean about hanging out again?" - she leaned closer, showing interest in the subject.

"Uh… Yeah! I was just pondering, what do you feel like doing today?" - he asked.

Even though that wasn't exactly what he was trying to say, he thought at least talking about that subject would help him get his point across later.

"About that. Today I've received a bigger amount of demands than what I was expecting so I won't be able to go out." - she rubbed her arm - "But, I did look forward to at least spending time with you, so I thought, maybe you'd like to stay here and watch me work? I mean, if you're not busy with any Sky Knight duties, that is." - she invited him expectantly.

Well, he was certainly glad for that.

"Really? But, wouldn't I be in your way? I did mess up yesterday." - he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, no, not at all. It was an accident, don't worry about that." - she reassured him, then giggled - "Accidents happen all the time when I work with crystals anyways since they're always so unpredictable."

He stared at her for a moment, then looked away in thought. And with that, he stayed there the whole day.

The day passed, and the girl had finished all her demands. Aerrow had watched her closely, giving her support whenever she felt a little overworked. They'd sit on her balcony to talk a little, then she'd show him some books and they'd work together on her experiments. And with every passing hour, the Sky Knight felt more attached to her than ever.

The anguish and regret he felt from his past relationships were being washed away by Piper. Every single bad memory was being replaced by the good moments he had been spending with her these days. She soothed his mind and soul. Cleansing him from any negative energy. She purified him. And needed her.

Her smile, her caring eyes, the beautiful midnight blue waves from her hair, the hypnotic way she walked around, her laugh that felt like music to him… He was smitten with everything about her. More, much more than that: he loved her, he simply and truly loved her. He had to find a way to let her know, no matter how sudden it could seem.

He was drawn to her every move, he followed her around everywhere. And the one time she made a small slip up during her work, causing a crystal to explode, he was there, holding her in his arms and making sure she was okay. And at that moment he saw all the proof he wished for: her blush and shy smile, and her sheepish way of thanking him for worrying. They had a connection. He could feel it, and he knew she could feel it too.

And then, it happened: the letter. At that night, Aerrow received a letter, requesting his presence on a very important mission. By what it explained, he'd be away for weeks. So that was it. That was his only chance to let her know.

In the next morning, Aerrow left the inn he was staying at with a determined look. He marched towards Piper's lab. That was the day. That was the time. He had to tell her what she meant for him. And he had to know if she'd wait for him.

He was sure he was going to place his heart in the right hands. He knocked on her door and entered her office, making her look at him a little startled.

"Piper. I have something important to say." - he began as she stopped everything she was doing to give him her full attention - "I… I've come to care about you… A lot… More than normal…" - he said, which made her eyes widen a bit in realization - "I have really strong feelings for you… And I wanted you to know that before I depart."

"Aerrow…" - she was speechless.

"I'll be away for weeks. I just want to ask you… If you'd wait for me." - he pulled out a rare crystal and offered it to her.

Her eyes were tearing up a little. She was moved. And not only that, her eyes told him she actually reciprocated his feelings. As she gladly accepted the gift, she looked at him fondly.

"Yes… Yes, I'll wait for you, Aerrow." - she said at last.

The next day, Aerrow was preparing for his mission. He loaded all he needed on his skimmer and mounted on it. Piper, who had been watching him, approached to give him some support.

"I was going to say good luck, but I'm sure you won't need it." - she said teasingly.

"He, I hope things will go out fine in the mission." - he commented.

"You'll be great, Aerrow." - she assured him.

He accelerated his ride and took off. The girl watching him with pride.

Weeks later, the Sky Knight returned. His skimmer flew above the Terra as Piper waved at him from where she stood. He landed nearby and she quickly ran towards him. They hugged tightly, glad for having reunited with each other. Then stared fondly at each other.

The two had started something new, and from that day on, they've been happier than ever. And both knew they were meant to be.