Piper made her way into the room of smooth white stone. The sounds of the heavy metal door slamming shut no longer caused a freezing chill to travel down her pine. She was now able to breathe deeply, exhaling all reservation before entering the room where in which all reason seemed to fade away.
Hearing the doors lock behind her, she opened her eyes and spoke, "how are you feeling this morning?"
The figure that she addressed did not stir or perform any gestures acknowledging her presence. The Storm Hawk sighed, and casually walked closer towards the individual chained against the room's farthest wall. Stopping a few feet short of reaching distance, Piper sat cross-legged on the floor, placing her battle staff at her side.
She looked towards the person who sat before her and felt a hint of sadness overtake her. The figure sat, cradling her knees to her chest, her head looking towards the bare white floor as her dark hair draped the entirety of her face. Piper didn't expect a response from her today. Like all the other days she visited her, she chose to remain silent, ignoring her presence. Her silence disheartened the young Sky Knight, forcing her to question the futility of the task she had been assigned. She was left to wonder if she was capable of making a breakthrough with the fallen Master. She began visiting Cyclonis over a month ago, and still she was unable to illicit a single response from the silent girl. For half an hour Piper sat in meditation, contemplating her next course of action.
She breathed deeply once more and smiled weakly. If Cyclonis would not speak to her, she would speak to Cyclonis. "Did I ever tell you about the time when Finn was almost eaten by a boghowler?"
Cyclonis didn't move or speak.
Piper continued, "Junko was just introducing us to the elders of his terra's main village. This was just after the great war had ended and we were trying to recruit them into the New Alliance. Well, I remember them mentioning that wallop culture is about standing firm, much like a rock and facing challenges head on, and they didn't believe our alliance represented that. They couldn't see themselves within it."
The other girl buried her forehead further into her knees, clutching the sides of her purple linen pants tighter.
Piper frowned a bit but continued to persevere. "I'm boring you, so I'll skip to the good part. Okay, so I remember Finn being hungry for meat the entire day. While Aerrow and I were busy trying to make up with the wallops, Finn wandered off to catch dinner. It wasn't until hours later that we realized that he had been missing for quite some time. Anyway, we ran off, and found him trapped from the shoulders down in rock. He must have been stuck that way for quite some time; his hair was a mess and he was sporting a particular painful looking sunburn. He found a baby boghowler, he even named it; Fufucuddlepoops, I believe," Piper laughed in reminisce. "So, he's stuck there, and we're convinced we can't get him out. Well, the baby boghowler's mother arrives and starts to charge. I jump out of its way while Aerrow tries to lure it away, hoping to avoid further advances. It was a no go. We resorted to distractions and even a bit of dancing to focus its attention on ourselves, instead of Finn. Also, no good. It continued to charge Finn despite everything that we attempted, until we finally stood our ground and forced it backwards with our combined strength! It turns out that the wallops were watching the entire time. I was angry, full of rage when I realized they stood there and refused to lift a finger to help. However, they did it for a reason. They told us, that by standing up to the ferocious beast, that we became much like the wallops, firmly rooted and resolute. They then demanded, at that exact instant, that they were included in the New Alliance."
Cyclonis remained silent.
Piper began to speak once more, "Beyond the humorous elements of the story, I think there is something else there. I remember it for a reason. Seeing you here, like this, completely silent reminded me of those wallops. You have chosen not to open up to me, despite my daily visits. You choose to hide within yourself and ignore the outside world. You are firm, and unmoving, like a wallop."
The other girl's breathing, once constant in a slow, flowing rhythm, paused. She shifted in her shackles, bunching up even tighter than before.
Piper saw her reaction, and continued to speak, hoping that she had reached her on some level. "I know that you're hurting, more so than I can possibly imagine. It's difficult when everything that you've believed in your entire life comes crashing down up top of you. I get that. I just wanted to say, that despite all of that, you could be-"
"Storm Hawk," Cyclonis whispered in a hoarse voice, cutting Piper off mid-sentence.
"Yes?" Piper gulped in utter astonishment. Cyclonis slowly raised her head from the shelter of her knees. Her tangled hair draped forward, shadowing her pale skin. Piper saw two lilac orbs surrounded by bloodshot sclera pierce her very heart.
"Stand and leave. Do not, ever, use your breath to compare me to those filthy animals again," she hissed.
Piper, taken aback by the words of the former empress, attempted to clarify her comparison. "Cyclonis, I didn't intend for-"
"Leave…" she whispered as she buried her head into her knees once more.
The Sky Knight sighed, grasped hold of her battle staff, and rose from the stone floor. "I'll take it. It's progress, after all. Now that I know you can talk, I can't wait to see you tomorrow," she said with a small, cautious smile. Before walking through the large metal door, Piper looked back to Cyclonis and bid her farewell. She did not respond.
As Piper exited the room Cyclonis whispered to herself, "...leave, just like everyone else."